Away From Me
by lady-warrioress
Summary: When Flora has a nightmare that greatly disturbs her she decided to find out what it means. But she soon discovers is that her dream is about to become a cold reality. Read, Review, Enjoy. Some FloraHelia
1. Chapter 1

PROLOGUE

Peace hung over the dark countryside. The night air filled with sounds of sleepy creatures returning to their nests and dens for the night. A cool night breeze shook the leaves of the trees. Everything was calm and quiet.

The students of Alfea school of Magix were all in bed and asleep. Each girl having their own secret dreams. Peace filled the mind of every student...

Every student that is but one...

She'd fallen asleep reading a book about botany. The book lay open across her chest. Her pixy, who's finally stopped talking for once, lay sleeping in a small bed on a shelf above the fairy's head.

As she slept, her mind began to fill with dark images. She dreamt of fire and pain. Of darkness covering the sun and killing all life. She dreamt of walking through a ruin of a planet searching for her friends and family, but finding neither.

"Hello," she called, looking around the rocky plain. "Is anyone there? Hello?"

She received no reply and kept on walking.

Suddenly she spotted a figure laying on the ground. It was somebody she knew and cared deeply for.

She called his name and ran to him. She said his name again as she knelt down to look at his face. It was pale in death and cold to the touch.

She gasped and cried out his name again but discovered she had no voice. She started to cry, wanting desperately to help him but knowing there was nothing she could do. He was gone. He would never come back.

Suddenly a black shadow slowly blanketed the whole area. Haunting laughter filled her mind and echoed off the rocks around her. Her heart filled with fear and she ran. She ran for all she was worth but it was not use. A smothering blackness enveloped her, muting any screams she tried to let out...

* * *

The girl woke gasping for breath. She sat up and looked around herself. She spotted her room mate sleeping peacefully in her bed, her little bunny friend snuggled up next to her. The girl got up and checked on the others. They were fine. Everything was fine.

Sighing in relief she headed back to her own bed and flopped onto it. "It was only a dream," she said to herself, resting the back of her hand against her forehead as she stared at the ceiling. "Only a dream..."

But.. was it really?

_A/N_

_I just wanted to say this whole fic (meaning this chapter and the ones to come)was inspired by a **Winx Club** dream I had awhile back. The dream seemed cool so I decided to write about it. _


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 1

"Then she says to me "Orange is _so_ not your color. You should wear yellow." What does she know about fashion? She wasn't the one who spent her whole summer doing research on it," Princess Stella was saying to her friends Layla, Musa, Tecna, Bloom, and Flora, who made up the Winx Club. "I can't believe she would have the nerve to say something like that to me! _Me_! The Princess of Solaria and the Queen of Fashion!"

"Maybe she was just trying to be helpful," Bloom suggested. "Freshmen usually do."

"I wasn't talking about a freshman!" Stella shouted. "I was talking about the clerk at the mall!"

The red head fairy shook her head. "There you have it then," she said, shrugging.

"I do not have it!" the blond boomed. "She didn't have the right to insult me like that!"

"Maybe she was half blind and needed glasses," Musa suggested helpfully.

"Maybe," Stella said thoughtfully. "Come to think of it she _was _squinting pretty hard."

They all laughed. All except for Flora, who was staring into space thoughtfully.

"Is something wrong, Flora?" Layla asked noticing the spaced out look on her friend's face.

The brunette looked up. "Huh? Oh, uh, it's nothing," she said quickly. "It's not important."

"If it's not important then why are you letting it bother you?" Layla wanted to know, getting out of her chair and crossing the room then sitting down beside her friend. "Does it have something to do with Helia?"

"No," Flora replied shaking her head. "Maybe. It's just..."

"Just what?" Bloom asked also noticing her friend's troubled look.

Flora pressed her finger tips together, avoiding eye contact with her friends. "Well... This might sound silly but I had a nightmare last night," she replied.

"A nightmare?" Bloom asked, knowing nightmares full well since she had them pretty often herself. "About what?"

The brown haired fairy thought about it a moment then replied. "About the destruction of this world."

The two girls were shocked. "What?" they asked in one voice.

Flora looked at her hands. "I dreamt that this black _thing_ came to our world and destroyed it element by element."

"What did it look like?" Layla asked.

"It kind of looked like a bird or a man," she replied.

"Lord Darkar?" Bloom questioned, mentioning the realm's current problem. lord Darkar looked like a man in armor and could turn into a phoenix. "Why are you dreaming about him?"

Flora shook her head. "No, it wasn't him," she replied. "It was this big black figure. He had wings like a demon. He was also covered in black expect his eyes which were red and he had these Spheres..."

"Spheres? What kind of Spheres?"

"I don't know. They were all black with purple light in them. They looked like they held large amounts of magic."

"What happened next?" Layla asked.

"He used these Spheres to destroy all the life on this planet. He blocked out the sun and killed all the plants. He froze the oceans and rivers then used fire to destroy whatever plant life was left. The last thing he did was use large amounts of wind and rain to destroy anything that was left." the girl looked at her friends, her expression troubled. "He destroyed _everything_!"

"What about you?" Bloom asked. "Were you in the dream?"

"Yes," she said nodding. "I saw myself watching all this happen but was unable to do anything about it. I was so _powerless_." she closed her eyes as if reliving the dream again. "The last thing I remember is seeing Helia's body then being eaten away by a shadow.."

"A shadow?" Layla said. "Are you _sure_ it wasn't Lord Darkar?"

Flora nodded. "Positive."

"But why are you so worried?" Bloom asked suddenly. "It was only a dream. It won't happen."

"I know... I don't know...," Flora said, shaking her head. "And that's why it bothers me. This dream felt so real and the Spheres... I feel as if I know what they are for somehow..."

"Like the Sphere of Truth?" Tecna asked, who had been listening to the whole thing for the last few minutes.

"Maybe," Flora replied. "But I feel as if those Spheres represent elements somehow."

"How can you be sure?" Bloom asked.

"By the magic the black thing used," Flora said getting up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you. I'm going to the greenhouse now and clear my head..." she walked out of the room.

Bloom, Layla, and Tecna watched her go then looked at one another.. "That wasn't like Flora at all," Tecna said. "She usually doesn't let things bother her so much."

"Yeah," Bloom agreed nodding her red head. "I guess that dream was worse than we thought."

"And besides that," Layla said looking toward the doorway as the brown haired fairy vanished down the hall. "It scared her."

* * *

Flora stepped out into the greenhouse and walked past all the beautiful plants growing there. As she walked she looked at them all and sighed sadly. _If that dream comes true all these flowers will die_, she thought, feeling depressed as she absently stroked a rose as she walked by it._ Hmm..._

She shook her head. "What is wrong with you, Flora?" she asked herself out loud. "It was only a dream. You have them all the time. You don't have anything to worry about, girl." she took a deep breath and tried to smile as she picked up a watering can and began to water the flowers. "It's time to get to work."

As she watered the flowers she looked out the windows and took in the view of the forest surrounding the school. It always made her feel better... Suddenly she saw something weird looming over the trees. _What? _she blinked and leaned forward. _What is that?_

The thing seemed to dance and shimmer like summer heat waves. Flora wasn't even sure if it was really there. It caused the trees to waver a little as it seemed to pass over them. It didn't last too long. A few seconds later it was gone.

Flora looked away from the trees. _Was I seeing things? _She looked back at the trees. Nothing. She shrugged and tried to push the mirage out of her mind. _I must have imagined it..._

She went back to watering the plants.

* * *

Beyond the reach of any magic created by fairies, witches, or pixies, deep within the elements of the planet were eight divine entities. Eight entities with more Magic Power than any other creature on the planet or universe. Eight spirits that suddenly found themselves with a certain old problem that had risen once more.

"It's been released," an ice blue and white ethereal being said into a sphere of magic created by its element. A mirror of ice, more of a portal than a looking glass. "It's going to come here first. I just know it."

A blue and aqua ethereal being asked back. "Can you do anything about it?"

"No," the other replied, folding its arms across its chest. "But we must warn Fire before it's too late."

"Haven't you been able to speak with him yet?" the other inquired.

"No, he refuses to listen. My magic isn't strong enough to reach him and neither is Irisa's though she has more power than him."

"Maybe I should try," the one in the sphere suggested. "My magic is stronger than his. I'll try to get into his realm before it's too late."

"You do that," the ice creature agreed nodding. "I'll be waiting for a response, Leviathan."

"You'll be the first to know, Shiva," the one called Leviathan replied, smiling slightly. "You're always the first to know."

The sphere went dark.

The creature known to few as Shiva stepped away from the sphere and returned to the brighter part of its chambers. It removed its shimmering blue cloak and shook out long, ice white hair. A shimmering blue and white skirt blew around slim, light blue legs.

"I just hope he can talk to the one of Fire," Shiva said fixing ice blue eyes on the walls of the castle. "I can already sense it coming here. I will try my best to hold it off but... I know I don't have much of a chance."

Shiva (Who is female) waved her blue arms and muttered some quick spells. Slowly layers of ice, each as thick as bullet proof class, covered the inner walls of her chambers.

_I hope this will be able to keep it out long enough for me to hide the Sphere,_ she thought, making her way back into the darkened part of the realm when she was finished. _If I can't hide it in time the whole universe will be doomed._

_A/N_

_Like I said before it's based on a dream. Heh. I'm trying my best to keep the girls in character but I haven't seen Winx Club in awhile. :Sigh: I hope I'll see another episode soon. Well I hope you all like this chapter. This was so complicated to write but I think I fixed any problems I might have had._


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 2

"Why does that dream upset you so much, Flora?" Chatta, Flora's pixie, wanted to know as she flew around the girl's head as she worked. "It's not like it's going to come true."

"I know," Flora said looking up from watering some lilies to stare at her pixie. "That's what everyone tells me. I can't help thinking about it."

"Maybe you should go talk to the Psychic Pixie?" Chatta suggested, pointing her finger into the air. "Maybe she can help you?"

The brown haired fairy thought that over then nodded. "Good idea," she said, setting down her watering can. "Maybe she _can _help me. Thanks, Chatta!"

"You're welcome," the blond, pig tailed pixie said, grinning. "Hey! Wait for me! I wanna come too!"

Flora headed back into the school and went to search for the room that housed Alphia's Psychic Pixie.

* * *

"Hello, Flora. Hello, Chatta," the Psychic Pixie said looking up at the tall fairy and the blond pixie. "What brings you here?"

"Flora wants to ask you about a dream she's been having," Chatta replied.

"A dream?" The Psychic Pixie asked looking at Flora over the tops of her glasses. "What about?"

"It's about this weird thing," the girl began, sitting down in a big plush chair across from the pixie. Her fingers nervously needed the tassled cushion. "I'm standing in this field in the middle of nowhere, staring at something in the sky."

"What is it?"

"This huge black figure that looks like it might be a demon," the girl explained. "It had these Spheres in its hands. Whenever it used the power from one, something awful would happen."

"Did you try to stop it?"

"No," she said looking at her hands. "All I could do was stand and watch. The last Sphere he used blacked out the sun and killed all the plants. After that I was alone and wandering the land, which was now empty and void of any life. I could not even hear the Voice of Nature anymore..."

"Did you see anyone?"

"Only Helia."

The pixie looked up. "Helia?" she asked. "Is he someone special to you?"

Flora nodded. "Yes."

"What happened after you saw Helia?"

"Darkness covered the ground and this shadow began to eat away at me." Flora shivered at the memory. "That's when I woke up."

"Hmm..."

Flora looked at the Psychic Pixie. "What could it mean?"

"I think the dream was a warning," the pixie replied pushing up her glasses.

"A warning?" Flora and Chatta looked at each other. "About what?"

The older Pixie looked right at them when she said. "About something that is going to happen in the near future."

* * *

Shiva, Lady of Ice, descended the stairs of the lower part of her Realm. A bright sphere of ice cold light floated a few feet ahead of her, lighting her path down the frozen stairs. As she descended the ice cold stairs she pulled her dark blue hood over her head, shadowing her frigid features. A cold draft blew her ice blue skirt around her pale blue ankles. She was heading below the surface of the frozen lake that surrounded her Chambers. In her hands she held the Sphere of her element. She was going below the lake to hide it, and fast.

Above her she could hear the ice barrier she'd created two short hours prier being shattered under the devastating power of a much stronger element. _I must hurry, _she thought, increasing her pace. _I do not have much time!_

Her source of light illuminated the bottom of the stairs only footsteps ahead. She quickly descended the remaining stairs and her bear feet touched the surface of the centuries frozen pond. She started running down the corridor that had been created there a long, long time ago.

Far above, a dark shadow, as black as the darkest night, broke the remaining barrier and slid into the Chamber. The shadow wasted no time looking around. It immediately headed toward the darker part of the Realm, tracking the essence of the item it wanted.

Shiva could sense the thing heading toward her inner chamber and the secret staircase. She increased her speed, knowing if she didn't reach the final room of the hidden passage in time, her whole element, as well as the world, would be doomed.

_Not much farther, _she told herself hugging the item to her chest. _Not much farther... _Up ahead she could see the light she knew she had to reach before the shadow got to her. _Keep running! Don't look back!_

She sensed the thing reach the bottom of the stairs and knew she didn't have much time left. Sliding across the remaining few feet of the passage she thrust the Sphere toward the bright ethereal light.

A black finger of the darkest magic slid over her shoulder as the Sphere landed in the light and was absorbed into it. As Shiva began to recite an incantation she had learned many years ago, in case this emergency ever happened again, the black fingers slipped easily into her back. Instantly she felt her power being drained.

_I don't have anymore time, _she thought in desperation. _I have to finish the spell now! I can't let him have the Sphere!_

Opening her mouth, wide, she screamed the final words of the spell in desperate pace and volume. _"Ax ren ti ya!"_

The instant these words were uttered the light absorbed the Sphere completely and flashed brightly. The black thing let out a scream of rage as the light grew brighter then vanished all together.

* * *

"So now you know what your dream meant," Chatta said as she and Flora left the Psychic Pixie's Chamber.

"Yes, I do," Flora admitted. "But I am just as confused as ever. I _still_ don't understand a thing about the Spheres, the black thing, or the elements they represented."

There was a silence for a moment then Chatta exclaimed. "I know! Let's ask Bloom. She's always spending her time in the library. Maybe she can help us search for something on those Spheres."

"Hmmm..," Flora mused, putting her finger on her cheek as she walked down the hall with her pixie. "We could... Okay, let's ask her."

* * *

One of the fairies in the Ice maiden's Chamber found the Lady of Ice not too long after the darkness had gone. It found her laying face down on the icy floor at the bottom of the frozen lake. Its loyalty was strong and it immediately cast a healing spell but didn't stick around. It felt the great drain in its Master's magic and didn't want anything else to happen. It didn't want the Blackness to come back. As soon as it had cast the spell the fairy vanished back within the frozen depths of the lake's magic.

The spell worked quickly and Shiva woke up. Her blue eyes opened and stared at the darkened passage. A small spell brought forth another light sphere as she pulled herself to her feet and drug her weakened body back the way she had come. She ascended the stairs and entered her bedroom.

Once there she collapsed onto her bed and turned her attention to her mirror. Using as little magic as possible she was able to reach the aqua colored Chamber of the Lord of Water, Leviathan.

When the hooded deity looked into the mirror to stare at her, he gasped. "It got to you already?"

She pushed herself into a sitting position and nodded. "Yes, I am sorry," she said, not meeting his eyes.

"Where is the Sphere?"

"It is safe. I hid it where he won't be able to find it for now but... he absorbed most of my magic."

"Just as I feared," Leviathan said gravely, resting his forehead on his fingertips.

"This means, since he couldn't get mine for the time being, he'll go after Fire next," she said leaning forward and locking eyes with her watery counterpart. "We _must _warn him."

"Don't worry," the aquarian Lord of Water said, looking back at her. "It _will_ be done. Let's just hope he _listens_ this time! I'll send him the message. You just rest, okay?"

"Yes." she looked toward the secret passage she'd just exited. "Let's just hope he listens before it's too late."

_A/N_

_I enjoyed writing this chapter. But... I don't remember if the Psychic Pixie ever had another name. Did she? If so; can someone tell me what it was. I don't even think I spelled "psychic" right. Is there an 'H' somewhere in that word? I can't remember... Well now the Lady of Ice is out of the picture for now but next comes the fire... I wonder who he might be... heheheh. You'll find out soon. I hope you liked the chapter. Don't worry. Flora and everyone will be mentioned more in the next chapter. :D_


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 3

"Sure I'll help you," Bloom agreed when Flora and Chatta explained to her what they wanted. The red head closed the book she was reading and swung her legs off her bed . "Let's go now." She looked at her Pixie. "C'mon Lockette."

"I'm coming," the pink haired pixie said, hovering around Bloom's head.

When the four were ready they headed to the library.

"Thanks for agreeing to help," Flora said as they walked down the hall.

"No big," Bloom said closing her eyes and smiling. "That's what friends are for, right? To help out each other."

"Yeah," Flora said smiling slightly. She real real grateful for this and relieved that her friend was willing to help her. She hadn't wanted to look for those books by herself. "I just hope we find something."

"I'm sure we will," the red head said reassuringly, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "The library has almost everything. We're bound to find _something."_

"I hope so."

By then the two girls and their pixies had reached the door to the library. "Remember," Bloom said opening the door and putting a finger to her lips. "We have to be quiet."

"That means you, Chatta," Flora giggled, looking over at her pixie.

"Hey, I can be quiet when I want to," the blond pixie said, putting her hands on her hips.

The girls laughed but immediately quieted down when they stepped into Alphea's library. Once inside, Bloom walked up to the check out desk and addressed the librarian, a blond woman waring glasses named Barbatea, in a hushed voice. "Excuse me," she said in a voice close to a whisper. "Where can I find books on Elemental Spheres?"

Barbatea looked up at Bloom and pointed toward a row of shelves near the back of the room. "Over there," she said.

"Okay, thank you."

"Just remember to keep your voices down," the librarian reminded them primly. "There are other people reading in here besides you."

"We'll remember," Bloom promised. When she turned away and returned to her friends, she was giggling. "Barbatea showed me where they are." She pointed in the same direction. "Over there."

"Okay."

The two girls and their pixies headed toward the area that Barbatea had pointed out. It didn't take them very long to find what they wanted. They found four books on Elemental Spheres. Grabbing the books the girls and their pixies found an empty table and sat down to read.

"Here we are," Bloom said finding something in her book after paging through it for a moment. "It says here that Elemental Spheres are spheres that represent eight different elements."

"Eight?" Flora asked looking up from her book in surprise. "I thought there were only four. Water, Fire, Earth, and Air."

"I guess there are more," the red head said shrugging.

The nature fairy leaned closer for a better look. "What ones do they mention in the book?" she questioned.

"Some of what you mentioned but four others. Ice, Fire, Plants also called Nature, Earth/Rocks, Wind/Air, Water, Light, and Darkness," Bloom replied turning the page. "It says all eight Elemental Spheres were guarded by eight special Guardians. These Guardians were given the duties of keeping the world's elements in balance..." she turned the page. "Uh oh!"

"What?" Flora asked.

"It says here that over a thousand years ago the dark element Guardian named Zackwell wanted more power and in an attempt to get it tried to steal the Elemental Spheres."

The girl had never heard of this before. "What happened?"

"The other seven guardians overpowered him and took his power away," the red head read. "_They sealed him within the chambers of the Abyss and gave his power and Sphere to another Guardian named Damen. After that the elements resumed their proper order."_

"Hmmm," Flora mused, going over this information in her head. "This is interesting. I have never heard anything like that before."

"Maybe it's just a legend," the princess of Domino suggested. "You know; like Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster."

"It could be," Flora agreed, picking up her own book and pushing back her chair. "Thank you for helping me out, Bloom."

"Like I said before; no big," Bloom said smiling. "You know me; I'm always here to help."

Flora thanked the girl again and left the library. As she walked back to her room to read over the book she'd taken out she thought about what she'd just found out. _So those Spheres in my dream _did _represent elements, _she thought. _So who was that black thing in my dream? Could it have been Zackwell? _She folded her arms and looked out the windows in the hall as she passed by them. _Why do I get the feeling I've missed something somewhere?_

_

* * *

_

"I don't believe this. We haven't spoken in a long time and now you have the nerve to just break through my barrier and contact me! I don't have time to worry about that right now. I have other things I need to do."

"The only other thing on your mind is the Cotex," Leviathan retorted giving the Lord of Fire a withering look. he folded his arms and passed in front of him. "You realize if he comes after you next your element and magic will be no match for his! He'll absorb it! He'll absorb it just as easily as he absorbed Shiva's!"

"That kind of thing won't happen to me," the other shot back. "I'm not a pathetic weakling like Shiva."

Leviathan looked over at him. "What about your Sphere?"

"What about it?"

"Where is your Sphere?"

"Not here if that's what you're worried about," he stated, folding his arms and looking away, a clear sign the conversation was boring him "I have it somewhere far from my realm where he won't find it. Besides, I wouldn't keep something like that around here collecting dust."

"Darkar!" Leviathan said raising his voice in agitation.

"He won't come here," Lord Darkar said, staring into the communication sphere confidently. "And if he does I know I can take him."

"Are you stupid!?" the Lord of Water demanded, clenching hist fists. "Your element is weaker than mine whether you want to admit it or not. I know _I _can't take him so _you_ can't either!"

Darkar scowled, not liking to be reminded of that little piece of information. "You underestimate me," he retorted. "All of you have! You don't realize _my _power also holds part of _his _element as well."

"Don't flaunt your power," Leviathan said frowning. "Shadow fire is _still _fire."

"And a fool is still a fool!" the Lord of Fire shot back.

"He's not how we remember him!" the water Guardian insisted. "He's going after us element by element! You are fire whether you like it or not. That means you'll be next and then when your power is gone he'll come after me!"

"Wonderful," Darkar said unfolding his arms then letting them hang at his sides. He gave the Lord of Water a bored look. "Now don't bother me anymore!"

"Darkar-!"

The Lord of the Under Realm cut off the communication with a swing of his hand then left the room. He didn't want to talk to that stupid Water Lord anymore. He knew they were just being overly cautious.

Nobody was going to steal _Lord Darkar's_ power! Especially not that smart aleck from the past with the big ego. What kind of idiot did they take the Lord of the Shadow Fire for?  
_I don't have to worry about it, _he told himself, smirking. _He won't be able to steal his powers from me._

He walked over to a balcony like area and looked down into the lower parts of his Realm. "Girls!" he called.

Recently he'd acquired three witch sisters to work for him. Theirs names were Icy, Darcy, and Stormy. They'd tried to take over the world before but thanks to Bloom's Dragon Fire power they had lost. They now worked for him. He'd given them some of his own power to use as they liked.

He waited for the three to come but nobody did. "Girls?" he said looking around, annoyed. "Girls? GET OVER HERE!"

Still nothing.

"Where are those witches?" he asked himself out loud. "I'd better go look for them..."

He walked back into his castle. He found them a few minutes later in the area that looked like a throne room. They lay sprawled out all over the floor, unconscious. It looked as if something had gotten to them.

_What? _he walked over to them and knelt down to examine Darcy, who was closest to him. That's when he discovered their magic had been drained. _What's going on? The Under Realm isn't supposed to drain _their_ magic! Who is responsible for this!?_

He heard a noise outside of the castle and hurried to the bridge area. Once there he spotted something on one of his towers and his eyes sparked with surprise and rage.

A black shadow, as dark as midnight, was forming out of the tower wall.

_A/N_

_Well... All I can say is in my dream Darkar was the Lord of Fire though I'm not exactly sure if that is true. Is his power Shadow Fire? All well, whether it is or isn't he's going to be in the story. Anyway. I don't have much else to say about this. Hehehehe. Shadow Haunt Lord man will be drained as well. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I am so weird. I hope you liked the chapter anyway._


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 4

Lord Darkar glared at the dark thing forming out of his castle wall and cursed. It had come after all. He'd been so sure it wouldn't. He'd been so sure it wouldn't be able to_ find_ him. After all; who would expect to find the Lord of Fire underground?

Well he couldn't just stand there. He had to do something before it decided to destroy something, or him.

_I have to get rid of it! _And all of a sudden he didn't think he could.

Thrusting that thought aside he muttered a spell that created a large orb of burning dark fire. "Take this!" he yelled at the dark thing, throwing the orb toward it.

He watched the orb make its way to the object. It had almost reached the blackness when something strange happened. The orb was _devoured _as if it had been an afternoon snack without causing any wounds or injuries to the black thing! Darkar's eyes burned with surprise and rage as he created another spell. He threw it at the black thing as well and just like before the black thing devoured it like is was novice magic.

Suddenly the thing began to make its way down toward the Lord of the Under Realm. Darkar cursed again and did something he never liked doing. He ran. He had to find a place where he would have time to turn into his phoenix form. If he could do that he could get out of there before the black thing got to him.

_Curse that Zackwell! _he thought as he ran. _How _dare_ he show his face now! Now! When I'm trying to take over the universe! He'll pay for this!_

The Lord of the Shadow Fire ran past the witches. He cast one small glance in their direction but didn't stop. He couldn't stop. There wasn't anything he could do for them. He took life not gave it. As he ran to the back of his castle his form began to change. His body instantly took on its phoenix form and he rocketed out the back opening of the castle. He hadn't gotten far when he heard a screech behind him that shook Shadow Haunt. He looked over his shoulder and spotted the shadow thing coming after him. It was now a huge, black dragon.

Darkar cursed again and tried to out fly the dragon by maneuvering around his Realm. That didn't do too much. The dark dragon proved to be more agile than him and did a wide arch. The next instant the Lord of the Under Realm was in the dragon's claws.

Instantly he started transforming back to his other form. _What in the world?_

"Where is the Sphere?" the dragon demanded in a raspy voice that caused Darkar to look up at him.

The Lord of the Under Ream smirked. "Like I'd tell you," he said in a mocking voice, showing off his too white teeth. (Did you ever notice that Lord Darkar's teeth are very white even though the rest of him is so dirty looking? I wonder if he brushes daily?)

The dragon, having no time for games and already in a foul temper, banged him against the castle's tower walls. "Tell me!" it roared. "Tell me right now!"

The banging almost knocked the smaller Lord out but he managed to push all pain aside as he scoffed. "If you want it so badly, go find it yourself!"

The thing growled. "Fine I will!"

Then it did the same thing it did to Shiva. It drained Lord Darkar's power then dropped him into the abysmal caverns below the castle and since he was drained of most of his power, he could do nothing about it.

But before he hit the ground there was a bright flash of light then everything went black.

* * *

Flora flipped through the book she'd checked out of the school library trying to uncover more about the Spheres and their Guardians. The book told her everything Bloom's book had mentioned but nothing new stuck out. Sighing she set the book down on her nightstand and just let her mind go places.

The sudden sound of a phone ringing brought her out of her thoughts. Startled, she almost fell off her bed but was able to regain her balance. She reached onto her nightstand and picked up her cell phone.

"Hello?" she said putting it up to her ear.

"Hello, Flora?" a male voice on the other end asked a little uncertainly.

She recognized that voice. "Helia?" she said, confused.

"Yeah," he said. "You haven't forgotten have you?"

"Forgotten what?"

"We were supposed to go out tonight."

"OH!" she gasped, suddenly remembering. "I'm sorry." she got off her bed and walked toward the bedroom window. She looked outside. "When can I expect you?"

"In about ten minutes," came the reply.

"Oh," she said, looking at the floor, hoping to spot her shoes. "Are you on your way now?"

"Yup."

"Okay," she said, spotting a pair of sneakers. "I'll meet you at the front gate."

"Okay."

"Okay. See you in a few minutes."

He hung up.

She turned off her phone and sighed. She'd been so preoccupied by her dream she'd almost forgotten about her date.

She set her phone back on her nightstand and grabbed up the sneakers, sitting on her bed to put them on. She looked in the mirror to briefly look at her hair to make sure it wasn't out of place. Satisfied that it wasn't, she bolted out the door, down the hall, down some stairs, out the door, across the campus, and to the front gate where she came to a stop just as Helia rode up on his bike.

"Helia!" she called, waving, as she ran toward him.

Helia got off his bike and took off his helmet, shaking out his long blue hair. He waved back. "Hello, Flora!" he greeted with a winning smile. "I see you're already ready. I thought I might have to wait a few minutes."

She came to a stop in front of his and smiled. "I didn't want to keep you waiting," she told him closing her eyes and putting her hands behind her back.

"Well that was considerate," he said. He kissed her on the cheek then handed her a helmet. "So where do you want to go?" he asked as they climbed onto his bike.

"Anywhere would be nice," she replied. _Just as long as I can be with you..._

"Okay, how about the lake?"

"Okay."

Helia revved up his bike and the two rode away from the school.

* * *

"So," Helia said a few minutes later when they reached the lake. "What have you been doing lately? I haven't seen you much."

"Oh," she said kneeling down and dipping her finger in the clear blue water. "I've been working on a project."

"What kind of project?" he asked knealing down beside her.

She looked at him. "I'm trying to create a new flower that grows by the light of the moon." she said a bit absently.

Helia didn't seem to notice. "Cool. How well are you doing?"

She stirred her finger in the water. "I'm getting there...," she said a little distractedly.

"Flora?"

"Yes?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Why?"

"You usually get real excited when you talk about nature."

She looked away. "I'm sorry," she said. "Something's just been bothering me today. It's no big deal."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes..."

He could tell right away that she was lying. "No, you're not. What is it?"

Flora sighed and shrugged. "A dream."

"A dream?"

She nodded.

He sat down on the grass and put his hand on her shoulder. "Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head then nodded. "I might as well... It would be good for you to know anyway."

She proceeded to tell him.

Helia listened without comment and waited to ask questions when he was sure she was done.

"So what do you think it means?" she asked leaning back a little to get a better look a his face.

"I'm not sure," he said looking directly at her as well. "It might be just a dream. It might not mean anything."

"I hope not but..."

"But?"

She crossed her arms and lowered her head. "The Psychic Pixie said it did and I can't help feeling that she is right..."

Helia, seeing she was upset, leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. He wasn't sure what to tell her. He was still getting to know her. All he could do was try to make her feel better. "Don't worry, Flora," he said softly. "Whatever it means I can tell you this, I won't leave you like that."

She leaned into his embrace feeling how comforting it was. "Promise?" she asked.

"Promise."

_A/N_

_Fluff! Well my best attempt at fluff. I'm not very good with HeliaxFlora fluff. I need to see how he acts more. I wish he was in more Winx episodes. I tried my best to make this chapter okay but I might have messed it up a little, especially at the beginning. I hope no one is upset about that. :sweatdrop:._


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 5

"So Darkar's power was stolen too?" Leviathan said staring into the Mirror of Communication. He shook his head. "As was expected, he tried to fight him and nearly got himself killed. That means I'll be next."

"Leviathan," said the woman in the mirror. "I think it would be wise to get out of there before he gets to your region."

"I'm planning on doing that as soon as possible, Irisa," the Lord of Water told her. "I just have to hide the Sphere first."

"Why couldn't we all have hidden our Spheres beforehand?" she asked looking worried.

"Have you hidden yours?" he questioned.  
"It's been hidden for over four hundred years," she replied. "I guess Darkar and I were the only ones smart enough to think ahead."

"Irisa."

"I knew this would happen," she went on, tossing back her forest green hood and shaking out her emerald green hair. "I knew that seal wouldn't hold him forever. I knew if and when he got free he'd come after us. You should have listened to me, Leviathan. You _all _should have listened to me! Now we are going to pay."

"Irisa."

"Don't argue!" she cut him off angrily. "I don't want to hear your excuses! Just get out of there before he finds you!"

"Just let me hide the Sphere and I will."

"You should have done _that _a long time ago!" she shouted.

"I'm doing it now so don't worry."

"Leviathan!"

The Lord of Water wasn't listening anymore. He waved his hand and the mirror went dark. He stepped out from under the waterfall he'd been standing under and stared over his Realm for a few minutes, watching a whale swim around in the water just outside the Chamber's barrier. He lowered his aqua colored hood and his ocean blue eyes left the ocean view and settled on what was _inside_ the realm. All the fountains before him bubbled up the purest water.

Looking away from the fountains he dashed through another part of the Realm and came to a stop in a reality half in the world and half not. The Sphere of his element waited there in a pool of salt water. He grabbed the Sphere in his arms and ran back to the pure water fountains. He set the Sphere gently in the water watching it accept it's new place.

Glancing out into the ocean then back inside again he muttered a quick spell. An ethereal light appeared in the center of the fountain. Instantly he pushed the Sphere into it and said the spell again. The light flashed brightly and took the Sphere before it vanished.

Leviathan sighed then smirked. _That was easy. Now I'll have to do something about my Realm. I'm going to have to leave it for now._

He clapped his hands and two water nymphs appeared in the fountain. "You called, Lord Leviathan?" one asked swimming over to where he stood.

"Yes," he replied kneeling down to make eye contact. "I will be leaving my Chambers for a few days. Would you be willing to look after it while I'm gone?"

"Where are you going?" the second nymph asked curiously.

"Somewhere." was his only answer. "Now promise me you'll look after this place until I get back."

"We promise," the first said bowing her head in respect.

"Thank you."

The nymphs vanished back into the fountain.

Leviathan turned away from the fountain and pushed his cloak away from his legs. _I just hope I'll be able to come back, _he thought as he left the watery Chambers. _I must return..._

When he reached his Realms barrier that separated the Chambers from the ocean he lifted his arms in the air and began another spell for himself. "_Tyen sea Undae!"_

At the utterance of these words his body began to transform. It turned from ethereal being to long and serpentine. He became a dragon of water in colors of blue, pink, purple, and green. Thin membranous wings grew from his back and his arms and legs vanished. He wouldn't need them anymore. When the transformation was complete, he let out a roar that shook the ocean, causing tidal waves, then plunged head first into the water.

It was time to go.

* * *

Flora lay on her bed, tossing and turning in her sleep. Sweat beaded her forehead and ran down her face. Her teeth were clenched and a small moaning sound escaped her vocal cords. She was having another nightmare.

* * *

The fairy of Nature was underwater. All around her were colorful fish and a rainbow of a coral reef. Blooms grew out of the coral that competed with the flowers above water. It seemed so peaceful but it wasn't. Something was wrong.

Movement above her caught her attention. She looked up.

She saw the most beautiful sea dragon swimming above her. He was blue, green, pink, and purple in color as well as aqua. His eyes were the lightest blue she'd ever seen. Two pale blue wings were tucked close to his body.

What she noticed most was the look on the dragon's face. Fear. It seemed to be swimming quickly away from something.

Just then she noticed a black thing behind it. At first she thought it was a shark but as it got closer she could see it was serpentine in shape.

_Another dragon? _she thought.

She watched the black dragon chase the blue dragon. The blue dragon glared at the black one then began to swim faster. It looked like the blue dragon was avoiding the black one for some reason. Flora could understand the blue dragon's emotions. She wouldn't want that black bahamut to chase her either.

Something about that black dragon seemed sinister.

Suddenly the black dragon gained speed and caught up with the blue one. The two dragons faced each other and began to hiss and roar loud enough to create tidal waves on the surface by their sonar. Then they began to fight.

At first the two dragons swam at each other and tried to bite into each other's flesh. This didn't last long and soon the dragons were throwing magic at each other. The black dragon was incensed and shot spell after spell at the blue dragon who easily avoided the attacks. The blue dragon used magic as well by creating whirlpools but as Flora watched she saw that every attack sent back, whether it hit the black dragon or not, was devoured and seemed to make the black dragon stronger and bigger.

_The blue dragon's not hurting the other one! _she realized, her heart filling with panic. _He's only making him stronger!_

The black dragon, seemingly sick of fighting, suddenly threw itself into a charge. It careened at the blue dragon and caught the leviathan in its black jaws. The blue dragon let out a spirit shattering scream then became a ball of light.

As Flora watched the light begin to change size and shape. It took on the form of a person. The light faded after only a few seconds and an oceanic colored man in flowing blue robes took the dragon's place. The black dragon let the man go and the aquamarine colored being sank to the bottom of the ocean.

The black dragon, apparently satisfied with this, swam away.

Flora watched the blue deity sink to the bottom of the ocean then looked toward the black dragon. It was coming back. This time it wasn't after the man it was coming right at her!

* * *

Flora woke with a start. Panting in fear she looked around the room. There was no black dragon where she was now. Only Bloom sleeping in her own bed with her rabbit laying on her stomach. The brown haired fairy of nature fell back onto her pillows and sighed with relief.

_Another dream..._

She got out of bed and walked over to the windowed doors that led out onto the balcony. When she reached them she opened them and stepped outside. She leaned against the railing and took a deep breath of night air. She looked at the sky then toward the forest. She suddenly felt something wrong in the voice of Nature and realized something terrible was about to happen.

_A/N_

_Sorry about that. Umm there will be more of the Winx girls in the rest of the chapters. I hope you don't mind waiting a little while._


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 6

"Maybe you should ask Professor Avalon about it," Bloom suggested as she, Flora, and the other girls headed to class the next day.

"I don't know," Flora said hesitantly. Something told her that wouldn't be a good idea. "I'm not really sure I should tell _any_ of the teachers about it. I mean it's just a dream. What if they think I'm over reacting and being ridiculous?"

"I don't think your dream is ridiculous," Bloom said. "Besides, remember when I talked to Ms. Faragonda about my dream? She helped me out."

"But, Bloom, this dream is nothing like the ones you had with Daphney," her brown haired friend protested. "It has nothing to do with my destiny."

"Maybe it does," the red head suggested helpfully.

Flora stared at her sharply. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe your dream is telling you you must go against some great evil," Bloom explained wisely. "Like my dreams and the ones Layla had about Lord Darkar. It might be warning you about something in the future."

_Just like what Concorda told me. _she realized. "But why would it warn me?" Flora wanted to know. "Why not _you_?"

The fairy of the Dragon Fire shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know," she said honestly. "Maybe your dream is your destiny and not mine."

"I hope not," Flora said.

"Flora!" called a voice behind the two girls.

The brown haired girl and the red head turned around. They saw a girl with dark red hair running toward them. "Hey, Mirta," Bloom said in greeting. "I haven't seen you around lately. What have you been doing?"

Mirta, an exchange student from Cloud Tower, came to a stop in front of them. "Studying mostly," she said shrugging. "I've been looking through the legends in the library. It's for my creative study project."

Flora was immediately interested. "Really?" she said. "What have you been reading about?"

"The Origin of the Dragon Fire mostly," the witch replied as the girls continued walking down the hall to class. "But I also read something interesting. It had something to do with Elemental Aeons."

"Elemental Aeons?" Bloom asked.

Mirta nodded her head. "Yes."

"What are Elemental Aeons?" Flora asked curiously.

"They are the Guardians of the Elements," Mirta replied then corrected herself. "Wait that's wrong. The Aeons live within the Elemental Spheres. When enough magic goes into the Sphere of the element used an Aeon is summoned."

"What are they and what do they do?"

Mirta took a moment to remember. "Hmmmmm... Aeons have very powerful magic of the element they represent. Each Aeon takes on a form. For example; when enough light goes into the Light Sphere an angel name Micheal appears and uses magic called "Holy Judgement". These types of spells are very powerful and have no weakness to any element."

"Wow!" Bloom exclaimed awed.

"Wow is right," their friend went on. "The only problem is; the Aeons can only be summoned once and it has to be during a world or universal crisis."

"What kind of crisis?" Flora wanted to know.

Mirta's pale features grew serious as she said. "In case the world is ever destroyed by it's own elements."

* * *

Irisa lay face down on the mossy floor of her chambers, her magic drained and almost completely gone. The attack of her Realm had totally been unpredictable and a complete surprise to her and her servants.

As she lay on the floor the black dragon searched every part of her chambers for the item it wanted. Since it couldn't seem to find it the serpent went back to the area it had left the Guardian of Nature and grabbed her body in a midnight black hand. "Where is the Sphere?" it hissed.

The Guardian of Nature, though weakened, glared at him defiantly. "It's gone," she said with a sneer. "I have it hidden where you will _never _find it."

"Where is it?" he demanded again.

"I'm not going to tell you!" she screamed. "I won't tell you and I never will!"

The dragon growled in rage and threw her to the floor. "Fine!" he bellowed. "Then I'll find someone who will."

With that he turned from her and flew out of her Realm.

* * *

Flora decided against telling Professor Avalon about her dream. She had other things on her mind. Mostly what she'd learned from Mirta earlier that morning.

_All of this is just making my dream seem less and less like a nightmare and more and more like a premonition, _she thought biting her pencil as she stared down at her work. _There has to be a reason for them. Maybe the Psychic Pixie _was _right. I wonder if something bad is about to happen. Something that just won't involve me but everyone of my friends as well.._

"Flora! Flora!" someone calling her name made her look up.

When she saw who it was, the teacher Wizgiz, she looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, sir," she said. "What did you say?"

"I asked you what the best way to get rid of light in a room full of darkness is," he said folding his arms and tapping his foot.

"Ummmm..." she thought a moment then said without thinking. "Destroy it with an Aeon?"

Laughter filled the room and Wizgiz shook his head. "No, Flora," he said. "The best way to get rid of light in a room full of darkness is to simply turn off the source. Turning off the source or removing it will give you the same result. The light will be gone and the darkness will be all that remains. You should have paid better attention, Flora."

"Oh... um... I'm sorry," she said her face flaming.

* * *

"What were you thinking, Flora?" Tecna asked as the girls left the class a few minutes later. "Aeons?"

"I'm sorry," her brown haired friend apologized, embarrassed. "My minds been on a few things lately."

"Yeah?" the magenta haired girl asked. "Like what?"

"Nothing important," Flora said shrugging the whole thing off. She started walking away at a brisk pace. "I'll be late for my next class. See ya later, Tecna."

Before the digital fairy could say anything more her friend rounded a corner and was gone.

_A/N_

_I don't really like this chapter but it was necessary. I hope you all don't mind it too much. I'm trying to keep Flora in character but sometimes it's hard to do it. I mean, she's never had nightmares that I can recall._

_BTW did you guys see the Winx Club episodes last Saturday? Boy they sure were in a hurry to get those last two pieces of the Cotex to Darky Poo. Heh. I knew Prof. Avalon was no good. His eyes are too close together. My sis thinks he's Lord Darkar but I think she's wrong. How could L.D. be in two places at once? And look so different at that? _


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 7

Flora stepped out onto the campus grounds and took a deep breath, breathing in the clear crisp air. It was nice to be outside for a few minutes between classes. Besides, she'd been feeling a strange calling from the forest around the school for the past hour and had to find out what was wrong.

As she got closer to the front gate of the school she could hear the voice of Nature calling.. _Flora... Flora.._

The call was so strong she stepped through the gate without worrying about without getting into trouble. _  
_

"What's wrong?" she asked the trees once she was off the school grounds. "What happened?"

_Flora, _the voice said again. _Come to me. Quickly..._

The fairy stopped. "Who... who are you?"

_Follow my voice and you'll see, _the voice replied. _Now come! Quickly. Before it is too late!_

The girl ran into the woods. "Too late?" she asked as she ran. "Too late for what?"

_There is no time to explain. _the voice responded urgently._ Just come to me. Please!  
_"I'm coming!" she called sensing anguish in that voice. "Just please keep talking so I can find you!"

Flora ran deeper and deeper into the forest, following directions given by the voice. She had no idea where it was coming from or who it was. All she knew was that whoever was talking through nature was in trouble and needed her.

Desperately.

_But who and why? _she wondered as she pushed some low hanging tree branches out of her way. _Who would be calling me? What is it that they want from me? Why does the voice of Nature sound so sad? Is there something wrong somewhere? I must find out..._

It wasn't long before she reached a very large evergreen tree set in the center of a large clearing. As she stared at in in fascination, she identified it as the fabled Redwood, a plant that was said to only grow in the northwest in America on Earth.

Staring at the tree she began to wonder, _Is this what called me?_

As in in confirmation the voice called her again, this time closer. _Flora..._

"I'm here," she said, still looking at the tree. "Where are you?"

_Right in front of you._

Flora stared at the tree. "Are you the tree?" she asked.

_I cannot tell you. It is up to you to find out who I am._

"How do I do that?"

_Juts touch the tree and everything will be explained..._

"The tree?" she asked a little unsure. "Touch the tree?"

_Yes..._

Flora took a step toward the large, red barked plant, her hand out stretched as if to touch the trunk. _The voice said if I touch the tree I'll find out where it is coming from and who it is..... _Her hand rested gently on the rough red bark of the giant tree. The second this happened the wind picked up and blew Flora's long brown hair behind her. She gasped when she saw the tree trunk begin to glow.

"What's going on?" she asked out loud.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light that blinded her for a moment. She closed her eyes but could not shut out the brightness.

"_Flora..."_

It was that voice again.

The fairy of Nature opened her eyes. What she saw before her made her gasp in awe. It was a woman. A woman with long emerald green hair and eyes. Her skin was a very light green and so were her long fingernails. A long flowing grass green dress flowed around her ankles and bare feet. Was she beautiful but ethereal.

"Flora," the woman said through rose pink lips, the only other color on her body.

"Who- who are you?" Flora asked staring at the woman.

The woman's ethereal face held a gentle but haunted expression as she said. "My name is Irisa, Guardian of Nature..."

* * *

"Hey!" Bloom exclaimed poking her head into the dorm room where her friends were lounging between classes. "Has anyone seen Flora?"

"I think I did," Layla replied, looking up from playing with her pixie, Piff.

"Where?" the red head asked.

The fairy of Andros thought a moment then replied. "I saw her leave the school grounds a half hour ago. Why?"

"She isn't back yet."

"She's not?" Tecna asked looking up from her computer.

"No," Bloom said ducking her head out of the door. "And there was something I wanted to ask her about. I'd better go find her." She started down the hall.

"Bloom wait!" Musa called after her.

The dragon fire fairy stopped in her tracks and waited for her friends to catch up. "What's wrong, Bloom?" Layla asked.

"We have to find her," Bloom said.

"Why?" Musa asked. "She probably just went for a walk."

"I don't think that's true. We need to find her. She might be in trouble."

* * *

"Irisa," Flora said slowly, going over the name in her head. "Were you the voice calling me?"

The ethereal woman nodded, her green hair swaying slightly in the breeze. "Yes," she replied.

"But why?" the girl asked. "Why did you call me?"

"It's hard to explain," Irisa said, folding her arm and lowering her eyes. She looked sad. "But I'll do the best I can to tell you what I can." The woman sat down on the grassy forest floor and motioned for the fairy to do the same. Flora did so. "Okay. I am not permitted to explain everything to you yet but I'll tell you what I am able."

The girl leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand, expectantly. "I'm listening," she said.

Irisa started speaking. "You might have been having some weird dreams lately," she said. She saw Flora nod and kept going. "These nightmares are a warning, Flora."

"A warning?" the girl asked surprised. "What kind of warning?"

"You'll find out in time but I can say this; it is something that will happen soon."

"What? What is it?"

Irisa's pale green face grew troubled as she said. "You and your friends will be needed to protect something very valuable...

* * *

"I can't believe I lost my power!" Lord Darkar was complaining to Shiva and Leviathan as the three guardians entered the Wind Realm of Farore, the Guardian of Wind and Air. "Me! The Lord of the Under Realm!"

"You're not the only one who lost their powers, you know," Shiva reminded him, looking over her shoulder. Her expression was impatient. She did not like being reminded of what happeend but the Fire Guardian couldn't seem to stop whining about it. If she'd had enough power she would have frozen him in a block of ice just to shut him up.

Leviathan nodded but didn't look at the Lord of Fire who was trailing behind them. "I just go word that Belzack lost his power as well."

"Belzack of Earth and Rocks?" Shiva asked surprised. "I thought he'd be targeted after Farore."

"Well it didn't work the way we thought it would," the Lord of Water said. "Let's just hope we can warn Farore before it's too late."

"It's not likely to happen," Darkar, the doomsayer, said grouchily. "For all we knew he could have gotten her already."

"I hope not," Shiva said worriedly.

"Me too," Leviathan added.

Suddenly they heard a noise from above. The three instantly turned their heads toward the sky. They spotted Farore, Lady of Air and Wind, trying to fight off a black dragon. She used tornadoes, cyclones, and hurricanes. Nothing seemed to faze the dragon and it just kept on coming at her.

Suddenly the bahamut's black tail lashed out and smashed into Farore. With a scream of terror, she was sent plummeting to the ground.

_A/N_

_I wanted to get two chapters up this week and I succeeded. In case you are all wondering a Bahamut is a type of dragon._


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 8

"Farore!" Leviathan shouted, rushing forward the catch the Air and Wind Guardian.

Shiva and Darkar ran after him but when the Lord of Fire heard the dragon shriek again he turned and glared at it. "Fool!" he shouted at it. Without thinking he created a ball of fire with the small amount of magic he had left and threw it at the bahamut.

Shiva looked over her shoulder and spotted the Lord of the Under Realm and Fire getting ready to attack the dragon. "DARKAR! NO!" she screamed. "Don't be an imbecile!"

Too late. The Lord of Fire let his attack got and it hit the dragon in the flank. It made an angry sound and turned its attention to the ground. When it spotted Lord Darkar and the other three (By then Leviathan had caught Farore) it came at them. Opening its mouth, it shot darkness at the spot where Darkar stood.

"Look out!" Shiva shouted, rushing forward and diving into the Lord of Fire. She knocked him to the ground and upon falling on top of him, held him down so he wouldn't try anything again.

"Get off me!" he shouted, trying to free himself.

The Lady of Ice would do no such thing. "Don't be a fool," she snapped, pinning him down. "In your current state you can't even scratch him!"

The Darkness from the dragon's attack hit the ground where the Lord of Fire had been standing only seconds before. The attack caused the ground to become loose and the constantly blowing wind of the Realm of Winds blew pebbles around the two.

Suddenly, before the dragon could try again, a tidal wave rose up and headed toward the dragon in the air. The serpent saw the water and decided not to stay around. It turned away then fled the Realm. When it was gone the wave vanished.

"Hey!" Leviathan shouted, running toward them with Farore in his arms. "Are you two all right?"

Shiva and Darkar stood. "Yes," they said as one.

Shiva chose that moment to scold her counterpart. She glared at the Lord of Shadowhaunt. "What _were_ you thinking?" she demanded, looking like she wanted to slap him. "That dragon drained your power and you try to attack it with what little you have left?"

Darkar glared back then turned away from her. "I will not let him get the best of me again!"

"There is nothing you can do about it," Farore spoke up as Leviathan set her down. "You just have to accept it."

"I will not accept it!" the Lord of Fire growled, turning to glare at them all. "I will not do it! I will never allow myself to accept it! NEVER!"

Shiva slapped him across the face, breaking off his tirade. He stared at her in shock.

"But you have to," Leviathan shouted, standing between the Lady and Darkar. "Until we can find the one who can go against him we have to."

Darkar said nothing. He turned away from them again so they couldn't see his face or its angry, lethal expression. He didn't want to admit it but he knew they were right.

* * *

"I don't see her anywhere," Layla called from the sky, as she flew over the forest.

"Keep looking!" Bloom called up to her from the forest floor. "She's got to be around here somewhere!"

"Bloom," Tecna said suddenly, staring at her navigator. "According to my calculations if Layla keeps flying in the direction she's going she'll reach the Sacred Redwood."

"The Sacred Redwood?" Bloom asked staring at the magenta haired girl. "What is that?"

"It is a plant that grows in the very center of the forest," Tecna explained looking up at her friend. "It was said to be a legend but people have seen it."

"The Sacred Redwood is a tree," Musa said thoughtfully. "Maybe Flora's there."

"Maybe." Bloom looked at at Layla. "Hey Layla, fly around until you spot the Sacred Redwood!"

"Sacred Redwood?" Layla asked confused. "What is that?"

"It should be a very tall tree!" Bloom called, remembering seeing pictures of redwoods at school on Earth.

"Okay," her dark skinned friend said, around until she spotted a tall tree with red bark, rising above the other threes like a skyscraper. "I think I see it. I'll go investigate."

* * *

"Find something valuable?" Flora asked, confused. "What will we be looking for?"

"I cannot tell you now," Irisa answered evasively. "It is not time yet."

"Time for what?"

But before the Nature Guardian could reply they both heard a voice from above shout. "Flora!"

The girl and the Lady of Nature looked into the sky. They saw a dark skinned fairy with long flowing hair and wearing a green outfit flying down to them. "Layla!" Flora called getting to her feet and waving at her friend.

Layla flew below the treeline toward her friend and spotted Irisa standing near the Nature fairy. "Who are you?" she demanded charging up a magical attack. "You'd better not have hurt Flora!"  
"Layla calm down!" the brown haired fairy shouted. "She didn't hurt me! She was telling me the meaning of my dreams!"

Layla stared at her. "The meaning of your dreams?" she asked.

Flora nodded. "Yes."

The dark skinned fairy glided to the ground and stared at her friend. "What is going on?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Flora replied, shaking her head. "That's what I was trying to find out."

Layla looked over at Irisa. "What is- Hey, she's gone!"

"What?" Flora looked over at the spot where the Lady of Nature had been standing. She was indeed gone. "Where did she go?"

Layla looked back at Flora. "What was she? Who was she?"

The brown haired fairy looked at her friend but didn't exactly meet her eyes. "Her name is Irisa," she replied. "She's the Guardian of Nature."

"Guardian of Nature?" the fairy of tides asked. "I have never heard of a Guardian of Nature."

"Neither have I until yesterday," Flora told her.

"What do you mean?"

"Bloom and I did some research on the Spheres in my dreams yesterday afternoon and we read about Elemental Guardians," the Nature fairy explained.

"And she was one of them?"

"The book didn't name names (except for Zackwell and Damen) but it _did_ mention elements and guardians." Flora suddenly wanted to drop the subject. "Can we just forget it?"

Layla gave her a confused look but agreed. "Okay. Let's go find Bloom and the others."

Flora stared at her. "Did you guys come looking for me?"

The dark skinned fairy nodded. "We thought you might be in trouble."

Flora was slightly angry at that but she held it in and said, her voice a little strained. "Then let's go let them know that I'm not."

_A/N_

_The events will be happening soon. Flora and the others will be having something important to be doing in the next chapters. Hehehe._

_You know; I don't think its fair that everyone but Flora got their Charmix. Why? Don't the creators like Flora? I really wanted to see what it looked like!_


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 9

Miranda, Lady of Light, was leaving the inner part of her chambers when she spotted a black figure walking up the cloud white steps toward her. She instantly recognized the dark skinned face of the new Darkness Lord, Damen.

"Damen!" she exclaimed, blinking her pure white eyes in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Damen lifted his head and fixed his black eyes on her ethereal face. "I came to see you, Lady of Light," he replied smiling.

"But you're not supposed to leave your Realm," she protested, her eyes widening in horror. "You're supposed to protect your Sphere from Zackwell."

"Don't worry about it," he told her, looking relaxed as if he had nothing to worry about. "I hid it somewhere where he won't be able to find it."

Miranda's white face showed relief. "That's good," she said smiling. "So why are you here anyway?"

"To visit you," he replied.

"Well I was about to leave," she said. glancing nervously toward the barriers of her chambers. "I wanted to get out of here before I became the next victim."

"He's going to come here next?" Damen asked shifting his weight from foot to foot listlessly. "Do you think he'll try to take his place amongst the Guardians again?"

Miranda shook her head, her snow white hair swayed from side to side. "No. Even if he tried he would not be allowed," she said grabbing the Lord of Darkness' hand. "But I think we'd better get out of here before he gets here and takes our power away."

"Good idea," Damen said turned around to walk with her. "Let's go."

They hurried down the stairs to the exit of her Realm. But before they got very far they heard a noise from above and glanced up at the light barriers. The black dragon glared down at them with hate filled black eyes.

Miranda stared at the dragon a minute in shock then gasped. "Zackwell!"

Damne looked nervous at the name's utterance. "Z...Zackwell?"

The same time he said the former Guardian's name the dragon broke the last barrier and flew down to them, its jaws wide open as if to devour them!

* * *

"What were you doing there anyway?" Bloom asked a few hours later, as the girls sat in the cafeteria, eating dinner. "You had us worried. We thought something bad had happened to you."

"You really didn't have to worry," Flora said, leaning her elbows on the table. She was still a little upset that her friends had chased the Lady of Nature away. "I would have come back."

"But why did you go out there in the first place?" Stella asked waiting to hear the heads up. (She hadn't gone with them in their search for Flora)

"A voice called me," Flora replied.

"A voice?" Bloom asked. "Like the Voice of Nature?"

"It _was _the Voice of Nature," the brown haired fairy replied. "I followed it into the woods until I reached the Sacred Redwood. There I met Irisa."

"Irisa?" Tecna asked looking over at Flora. "Who is Irisa?"

"The Lady of Nature," Flora replied looking at them all. "She told me a few things about my dreams too."

"Like what?"

"What Concorda told me, only in more detail," she told them looking at her hands now. "My dreams are a warning about something that is going to happen in the near future."

"Really?" Musa asked leaning across the table to look at her friend's face. "What?"

Flora again shook her head. "She didn't say," the fairy admitted. "But I have a guess."

"What?" Bloom asked.

Flora looked at them all before she said. "I don't feel like telling you right now. I might just be wrong. I'll let you know if I'm right."

"Okay," Tecna said nodding. "That sounds logical enough."

Flora was glad Tecna was willing to drop the subject but the others seemed to want to push it some more. The brown haired fairy didn't want to be asked anymore questions. She put her hands on the table and used them to push herself off the bench. "I'm going to bed," she said.

"Going to bed already?" Stella asked, taking a bite of chicken. "But they haven't even served dessert yet."

"I'm not really that hungry," Flora said, folding her arms and turning away from her friends. "I'll see you later. Good night." she walked away.

The girls watched her go. When she was gone Musa asked. "Did we say something wrong?"

Layla shook her head, her dark flowing hair swaying from side to side. "I don't think it was our fault," she said. "And I don't think it even involves us."

"What do you mean?" Bloom asked.

Layla didn't have an answer prepared yet. "I'm not sure," she admitted.

* * *

When Flora made it to her room she felt like crying for some reason. _What is wrong with me? _she wondered flopping on her bed. _What is going on? Why do I keep feeling cries of distress coming from the forces of Nature?_

A soft knock on the door made her sit up. "Come in," she said rubbing her eyes to make sure they were dry.

The door opened slowly and a pale face with dark red hair peeked into the room. "Flora?" said the worried voice of Mirta. "Are you all right?"

"I'm not sure," the brown haired fairy admitted as the witch came into the room.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mirta asked sitting down on the bed beside her. "You can tell me."

"Not really," Flora admitted slowly.

"I understand," Mirta said and she meant it. "Whatever is bothering you must be something you don't feel like telling anyone about because you're afraid it will get your friends in trouble."

"Right," Flora said surprised that Mirta could have guessed correctly. "That's right."

"Maybe you _should_ tell _someone_," Mirta said helpfully. "It would be a good idea. It's not healthy to leave these kinds of things bottled up inside."

Flora knew Mirta was right. The good witch always did have good advice. It was hard to believe she even was a witch sometimes. She was about to say so when suddenly the school began to shake.

"What's going on?" Flora asked, grabbing the bedpost out of reflex. "An earthquake?"

Mirat couldn't answer. The school shook so hard the good witch fell off the bed and onto the floor. "OW!" she cried out when she skinned her knee on the carpet.

"Are you all right?" Flora asked letting go of the bed post and leaning down to help her friend up.

"I think so," the witch admitted once they were on their feet again. "I think I skinned my knee, though."

The rocking suddenly got worse.

"C'mon," Flora said grabbing her friends arm to keep her balanced. "We'd better get out of here and find out what's causing this."

Mirta nodded her dark red head. "Good idea," she agreed.

Flora turned into her fairy form and flew out of her room, her arms around Mirta's waist to keep her from falling.

* * *

The weakened Guardians met together in the Realm of Mirrors. "I don't know what happened," Miranda was saying at she recounted her event with Zackwell in her Realm. "He didn't even seemed fazed by my light magic."

"He's become _way_ too powerful," Damen added. "Even for me! And I'm the same element!"

"At least the Spheres are safe for now," Leviathan said folding his arms.

"But for how long?" Darkar demanded, glaring at the Lord of Water. "He's bound to find them and you know it!"

"Why do you always have to talk like that?" Farore snapped, glaring at the Lord of Fire. "Always doom saying. It was so much quieter when the fairies put you to sleep for sixteen years!"

"Shut up!"

"Okay, cut it out, both of you," Belzac cut in. "We're not here to fight with each other. We're here to figure out what to do now that Zackwell's going to go after the spheres."

Everyone looked at Irisa. She said nothing and just looked back at them with glazed over eyes. "I think it's time to put your plan into action, Irisa," Belzac said folding his sand colored arms into the folds of his stone brown robes.

"I agree," Shiva said nodding. "We shouldn't have waited this long."

"I know," Irisa admitted looking at all the other Guardians. "I agree. It's time to get Them involved."

"What about my witches?" Darkar demanded. "I cannot trust fairies to get my Sphere. I only trust those who work for me."

The Lady of Natue looked right at him. _Same arrogance as always. _"If you think they will be of some help go back to your Realm and retrieve them. Take Shiva with you."

The Lord of Fire looked at the Lady of Ice who nodded. They left together. But not silently. The other Guardians could hear him whining about the whole sitiution even as the two moved down the hall.

Farore looked at Irisa. "Shouldn't we be going too?"

"The Lady of Nature nodded. "Yes. It is time."

_A/N_

_Now things are picking up. You know what? I like the Winx Club bad guy. I don't know why, I just do. Even though I think he's weird and he loooves women. (Well he does!) Please don't hold it against me. I like Darcy too and Mirta but I can't stand Icy and Stormy. They are annoying. I'm glad Flora got her Charmix even though Bloom's is the prettiest (No fair!) You were right zodiacdragonHatori he was holding Prof Avalon prisoner. (L.D I mean)_


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 10

Darkar's witches, Icy, Darcy, and Stormy, had finally awakened. The three witches were searching the entire palace of Shadowhaunt for the Lord of Fire but didn't find him. He seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

"Where is he?" Icy demanded, glaring around the Under Realm for any sign of their boss. "Where did he go? How could he have left us like this?"

"Yeah, tell me about it," Darcy said in disgust, as she sat down on a balcony railing. "He never leaves his Realm unless he's doing something devious. How could he have gone to do evil and not take us with him?"

"I don't know but he's not going to get away with it!" Stormy growled, charging up a magical attack. Out of the three she had the shortest temper and never liked being treated like garbage, plus she wasn't the most forgiving person in the magical universe."CYCLONE!" A huge black tornado blew around the castle causing a few of the towers to crumble.

"Stop it, Stormy!" Icy shouted as debris began to fall from the ceiling above them. She dived out of the way of a falling stalactite "You're going to bury us alive with that temper of yours!"

Stormy was too incensed to care. She used her magic to fill the Realm with multiple storms that created more and more chaos. The angrier she got the worse the chaos. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Darcy screamed, dodging a huge stalactite that fell from the ceiling and pierced the railing where she'd been sitting only seconds before. "STORMY!"

Suddenly a extremely angry voice behind them boomed. "STOP IT, THIS INSTANT!"

Stormy froze in mid spell-cast. Slowly she looked over her shoulder. Darcy and Icy did the same. They saw a very angry Lord Darkar, along with a frozen looking woman (By looks and by nature), standing behind them with his arms folded. Right away they could tell they were in trouble.

"Oh, Lord Darkar," Stormy stammered, feeling like a kid that was caught with her hand in the cookie jar after mommy said she couldn't have one. "I... I..."

"HOW DARE YOU!" he shouted at the storm witch. He clenched his fists and contemplated whether to hit her or not. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO CAVE IN MY REALM! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?"

Stormy tried to think of something to say but the only thing that came out was a very quiet. "Sorry..."

"You'd better be!" he growled glaring at her.

"Who's that?" Darcy changed the subject as she eyed the icy woman behind the Lord of Fire.

"Who?" Darkar looked back at Shiva who stared at him expectantly. "Oh, Shiva," he muttered, feeling the woman's icy cold eyes on his back. _Why do you have to be like that...?_

"Shiva?" Icy scoffed, glaring at the ice woman with slight jealousy. "She looks like one of those fairy losers."

Shiva stopped looking at Lord Darkar and glared at Icy. She lifted her icy colored fingers and said. "_Meanda!"_

Ice magic shot out of her hand and enveloped the ice witch. Within seconds she was frozen solid. The Lady of Ice cast her cold eyes on the other two sisters. "Who's the loser now?" she demanded.

The other two witches stared at her but said nothing, fearing she might freeze them next.

Darkar was getting even more annoyed. He got down to business. "Girls," he said after he so nicely unfroze Icy. "There is something I need you three to do for me."

"Yeah, like what?" Darcy asked folding her arms and sitting on the balcony again. "Get the rest of the Cotex?"

Darkar shook his head. "I need you three to go to Mt. Ifirt," he replied.

The three witched stared at him. Mt. Ifirt was an active volcano in the Realm of Fire. It was hard to get in and get out of that place without losing your life. "Why?" Icy asked.

"There is something I need you to retrieve for me," he answered folding his arms.

"What?" Stormy asked sitting down on the floor.

Darkar raised his hand and an image appeared above it. It was a Sphere the colors of fire. Red, yellow, and orange. "This is the Sphere of Fire," he explained."I need you to go get this for me," he said again. "I would go but I am not allowed in. This is very important..."

Shiva nodded. "We need this item," she said to the witches. "This item holds a lot of power."

"How?" Darcy asked in disbelieve. "It looks like a lame snow globe."

Shiva gave the floor back to the Lord of Fire. He really didn't want to tell the girls what it was for because he thought they'd think he was a weirdo or something. "It represents my element," he told them hesitantly.

The girls stared at him like he'd just gotten an extra head. "WHAT!?"

The Lord of Fire looked at Shiva and sighed. Now he'd have to tell them. _Why can't these stupid women just agree to do things no questions asked? _He looked back at the staring witches and began to explain.

* * *

When Mirta and Flora reached the front lawn of Alphea they met Stella, Bloom, Musa, Tecna, Layla, and most of the school there as well. "What's happening?" Flora asked when she and Mirta reached their friends and she'd set the witch on the ground.

"I don't know," Tecna said, fooling around with her little hand held computer. "This doesn't make any sense! My computer says it's not an earthquake but the ground is still shaking! I'm so confused!"

"Oh my god, look!" Bloom exclaimed, pointing at the sky.

All the students including the Winx Club and Mirta looked into the sky. Everyone gasped at what they say. "What is that?" Mirta asked.

"I don't know," Flora said staring at the object in the sky.

The girls couldn't exactly make out what it was because it was starting to get dark. Flora squinted against the darkness. She could just barely make out a serpentine shape slithering across the sky. "I think it's a dragon," she said loud enough for most of the girls to hear.

"A dragon?" Stella gasped. "Did Red Fountain lose a dragon?'

"I don't think that dragon is from Red Fountain," Flora said still watching the Bahamut. "I think it's from somewhere else."

"Like where?" Stella asked looking over at her brown haired friend.

Flora could only shake her head. "I don't know..."

"I do," an echoing voice said behind the girls.,

"What?" all seven girls turned around. (Including Mirta)

A woman in a flowing robe of rainbow colors walked toward them. Even though there was no wind, her hair and clothing moved as if a breeze played with them.

"Who are you?" Tecna asked staring.

The woman fixed her rainbow colored eyes on the girls as she spoke. "My name is Farore," she replied. "I am the Lady of Air and Wind."

The girls stared at her open mouthed. _She's another one... _Flora thought. _Just like Irisa._

Farore raised her hands. "Come," she said beckoning. "Come and I will explain everything."

"How can we trust you?" Stella asked, looking ready to go into her fairy form.

"Because, Stella, Bloom, Musa, Techna, Layla, and Flora, we need you," the Lady of Air and Wind replied advancing toward them. "Please help us."

"Help you what?" Flora asked.

"Come with me and you'll find the answers," Farore explained.

Then, before the girls could protest, Farore created a huge sphere of magic that enveloped all six girls. When the light faded Mirta stood on the school grounds by herself (the other students were there but you know what I mean). "Guys?" she called looking around, her eyes wide in panic. "Where are you? Where did you go? What's going on?"

"Mirta," said a voice behind her.

The witch looked over her shoulder. She saw the school's head Mistress, Miss, Faragonda, standing behind her. "Miss, F," Mirta said, turning to face the white haired woman. "Where are Bloom and the others? They disappeared!"

"I know." Faragonda walked up to the witch and said. "They are fine."

"But where are they?" the witch persisted.

The head mistress gave her a serious look as she said. "The Realm of Mirrors."

"The Realm of Mirrors?" Mirta asked. "What is that?"

"I'll explain later," the woman said. "Come. There is much we have to do..."

_A/N_

_The Guardians told Faragonda about their problem before they took the girls out of the school. That is why she knew about it. Hmmm. I saw the last two Winx Episodes last Saturday. Darkar died way too quickly. He was even weaker than the witch sisters in the first season! I thought he was supposed to be like the ultimate bad guy or something. It was practically like he just sat there and said. "Yeah kill me now I do not care. Because I am too weak to fight back." Erm yeah. I thought his defeat was too fast and too lame. THEY SHOULD HAVE ASKED ME! Hehehehe! He's not doing any fighting in the story (oops spoiler) well not with the fairies anyway._


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 11

Flora woke up to find herself in one of the biggest and softest beds she'd ever lain in. For a few minutes she just lay there half sleep, enjoying the softness of the pillows and the mattress. Suddenly she sat bolt upright and looked around. At first all she saw was her reflection then the walls around her sparkled strangely and a garden of roses, lilies, irises, and other flowers took up all the space in the room around the bed.

"What in the world?" she said, throwing back the coveres and stepping onto the floor. Her bare feet came to rest on soft green grass. "Are these flowers real?" she asked, kneeling down to feel the velvely smoothness of a rose. _This is real... but how?_

"Flora!" a voice shouted.

The fairy of Nature looked up. She saw Stella come running into her room wearing a very strange but stylish outfit.

She was wearing a pink baby T with the words PRINCESS written on the front in red sequins, snow white blue jeans, and pink heart covered sneakers.

"Stella," Flora said standing up to stare. "Where did you get that outfit?"

"It was in my room," the blond fairy sai,d giving herself a once over in the mirror. "I woke up and my room was full of awesome clothes!" The Princess looked around the room. "Wow! Look at all the plants! It's like your dream room, Flora!"

"But how?" Flora asked. "How did this happen?"

"It depends on what your soul thinks is most important," said a voice behind the girls.

"Huh?" The two friends looked toward the door. They saw the woman in the rainbow dress standing in the doorway.

"What do you mean, it depends on what our soul thinks is most important?" Stella asked staring at the woman.

The woman beckoned for the girls to follow her. "Come with me and I'll eplain," she replied.

The girls looked at each other then followed the etheral woman out of the bedroom and into a long mirror covered hallway. "Can you tell us what you ment now?" Stell asked glancing at her reflection and pushing her hair into place.

"This is the Realm of Mirrors," the woman replied. "This Realm's enchanted mirrors take in what is important to a person and make the most important a reality."

"Oh," Flora said. "So the mirrors reflect the soul?"

"In a way, yes," the Lady of Air and Wind said nodding.

"I wish my mirrors at home did that," Stella said pounting.

"No, you don't," the woman shot back. "These mirrors can also reflect your greatest fear as well."

"Oh," Stella said, realizing what that ment. "Nevermind then."

"Where are the others?" Flora asked looking around the mirrored hallway for other closed doors that could lead into rooms similar to her own. "There were six of us last night."

"They are safe," the woman replied not looking at the girl. "They are waiting for us in the Room of Insights."

"What is the Room of Insights?" Flora wanted to know not familiar with the name.

"A room where you can see everything happening in the magical universe."

"Cool!" Stella exclaimed. "That means if I want to see what Brandon is doing right now I can?"

"Yes."

"By the way, uh-" Flora began.

"Farore."

"Farore, why did you take us away from Alfea last night?"

"Because we need you." was the reply.

"For what?"

"To save the universe."

"From what?" Stella implured.

Farore turned to look at the girls before she said. "Let me answer you by telling you a story...

"Once upon a time there was a deity who wanted to create the universe. First he began to create the planets then he created eight special Spheres to balance out the elements. Soon he chose and created eight Guardian Forces to watch over the Spheres and keep them away from the forces of Evil. It wasn't long before the Darkness Guardian decided he wanted more power and proceeded to steal power from the elements."

"What happened next?" Flora asked.

"The other element Guardians soon discovered what was happening and proceeded ro confront Zackwell the Lord of Darkness," Farore replied.

Flora gasped. "Zackwell?" she asked.

The Lady of Air and Wind nodded. "The seven other Guardians confronted Zackwell and after a very brutal battle used the Asphereian Crystals to remove his power and bound him in the dpeths of the Abyss. After he was defeated the Sphere and all his power was handed over to Zackwell's apprentise Damen, who became the new Lord of Darkness. After that the elements returned to their proper order until a few days ago when the seal was broken after an importand item was stolen from Cloud Tower."

"Cloud Tower?" the fairy of Nature asked surprised that that name should show up. "What was at Cloud Tower?"

"The second piece of the Cotex," Farore replied folding her arms. "That praticular piece of the Cotex was the key to the seal of the magical chains holding Zackwell in the Abyss. If the key is lost, broken, or stolen, the seal will break and Zackwell will be free. Which is exactly what happened."

"Lord Darkar stole the Cotex from Cloud Tower," Stella imformed her.

"We know that and he knows that," the Lady of Air replied looked back at their faces. "But he refuses to give it back and now it's too late."

The three reached a huge door by then. "This is the door to the Room of Insights," Faore explained. "The other Guardians and your friends are waiting for us." The woman put her hand on the huge oak wood door and pushed it open. "They will tell you what you need to know."

The three stepped inside. Flora found herself staring at the most colorful people she had ever seen. She saw a man in the colors of earth and stone,. An angelic woman in white, Irisa, A dark looking man, an icy woman, and a creature wearing a mask and a glowing shredded cape he was surounded by a sinister red light.

"Lord Darkar!" she gasped on recognition.

"Darkar?" Stella asked looking around. "Where?" then she saw him too. "Hey, what is the creepy Lord of the Under Realm doing here?"

"He's the Lord of Fire," Farore replied, leading the two girls over to their friends who were also staring at everyone in the room especially Darkar. "He has lost most of his power as well."

"But why is he...?'

"He's one of the Sphere Guardians," the angelic woman in white replied looking over at the girls. "Even if he is trying to get the Ultimate Power."

"He can't now," Stella joked, giggling. "He doesn't have the power to do it!"

Darkar shot her a cold glar. "SHUT UP, FAIRY!" he growled.

"Okay," Irisa cut in before they started arguing. "We aren't here to fight. We're here to try to save the panet and the universe."

"I think we should tell them now," the icy woman suggested.

"That would be a good idea," Tecna agreed. "I hate not knowing what's going on."

"Okay," the angelic woman said. "We'll tell you now. I'm sure Irisa and Farore told you all about what had happened thousands of years ago."

The girls nodded.

"Well it's happening again but this time Zackwell is even more powerful."

"What do you _us_ need for?" Bloom asked.

"We need you to bring the Spheres from their sanctuaries," the Lady of Light replied. "When we found Zackwell was free we sent our elemental Spheres to eight locations all over the planets. We hoped sending them there would keep them safe from ther Zackwell but we realize it won't be that easy. He is very likely to find out where they are."

"So what should we do?" Musa asked.

"We need you to get the Spheres and bring them to the Realm of Mirrors," the angelic woman explained. "Once the Spheres are in the Realm we can use them to summon the Final Aeon."

"Where are the Spheres?" Flora wanted to know.

Irisda stepped forward and raised her hand, revieling a plant covered monastery. "This is where the Sphere of Nature is hidden," she replied. "And you collect the Spheres we'll tell you where to go to find the next one. You'll start by collecting my Sphere then whatever one come after it."

"I don't think this will work," Darkar said suddenly. "Why can't we just get them ourselves?"

The icy woman gave him a tolerent look as she reminded him. "The sanctuary barriors keep us out. Don't you remember? That was your idea."

Darkar said nothing.

Irisa ignored him and went on. "And to make sure where to go we'll send someone to go with you." she turned toward another mirrored door. "Apris."

The door opened and a girl stepped inside. She had green tinted platinum hair, prurple eyes, and a rainbow covered tunic similar in pattern to Farore's robes.

"Who is she?" Stella asked staring. "I like her outfit."

"This is Apris," Farore replied. "She is a princess from the Realm of Winds and the only person on the planet who knows where the Spheres are located. She is also my apprentice so she has to know these things."

The princess walked up to the other six. "To make sure we get to the Sphere of Nature before Zackwell does we'll need to leave immediatly."

"Okay," the other agreed.

"Let's go then," she said.

The girls turned into faries. "Time to do!" Steall said swinging her wond.

_A/N_

_Now things are starting to pick up a little. This part in my dream actually was a bit different and I had to change it so you all wouldn't think I was weird. I won't tell what it was, though. You don't want to know._


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 12

All the girls vanished, except for Flora, who Irisa wanted to talk to for just a minute longer. "Before you go, Flora, I need to tell you something," the Lady of Nature said leading the girl out of the Room of Insights.

"What is it?" the girl asked. "What do you need to tell me?"

Irisa, instead if saying anything, handed her something. "Here," she said.

"What is it?" Flora asked, taking the object out of the woman's plae green hand.

"Something I only want you to open when the eight Spheres are together," Irisa replied.

Flora looked at the object in her hand. It looked like a gem of eight colors on a gold chain. She put it around her neck. "What does it do?" she asked.

Irisa looked away. "I can't tell you but I'll say it again, 'Do _not_ open this until you have all eight Sphere together'."

"Okay," the fairy promised.

The Lady of Nature nodded with satisfaction. "Now I'll send you back to your friends," she made a few movements with her hands. "_Sendus Sphereus_."

A bright light surounded Flora and she appeared in the air with her five friends and Apris. "Where were you?" Stella asked, looking over her shoulder at her friend.

"The Lady of Nature needed to give me something," Flora replied.

"Really?" Bloom asked her face full of curiousity. "What was it?"

Flora shook her head. She didn't feel like explaining to her friends about it right then. They would have to wait till later.

"So where's this monastery the Lady of Nature mentioned?" Layla asked Apris as she looked around the fielded area(Layla not Apris). "I don't see anything but grass and trees."

"It's down there," Apris replied, pointing at a white stoned church/castle like building covered in wild ivy vines. "That's the Sanctuary of Nature."

"It looks tacky," Stella commented.

"No matter," Apris said looking at the blond. "That's where the Sphere of Nature is."

"Then we'd better get down there before Zackwell gets to it," Bloom said.

The other fairies agreed and flew toward the building.

* * *

Meanwhile, down on the bottom floor of the monsteries lower levels Seven Guardian pixies hovered protectively around the light and dark green Sphere of Nature. "Irisa has just informed me that the Guaridans have sent some fairies from the Alfea school of Magix to retreive the Sphere," Iris the blue haired and purple eyed lead Guardian Pixy told her subordinates.

"But what if Zackwell gets here before they do?" pink haired and blue eyed Rose asked putting her hands on her cheeks as her eyes filled with fear.

"Calm down, Rose," another pixy named Daisy said. "It's not likely that Zackwell will find this place. He doesn't even know where it is."

"But he could find out," Rose protested. "Just by using one small spying spell."

"You're _way_ too paranoid," Iris cut her off. "He's not going to come here."

"How do you know?" Rose challenged.

"I just do."

Suddenly a low sinister voice voice demanded. "Oh, _do_ you now?"

Rose gasped. "What was that?"  
"I don't know," Daisy said flying over to the other two pixies and pointing. "But I think it came from over there."

The rest of the pixies looked toward the spot she'd indicated. It was a shadowy area but for some reason it seemed even darker than usual.

"What's that?" Rose asked, her dark purple eyes getting bigger.

The shadow began to quiver. "Your worst nightmare," it said coming out of the wall and taking on a human form.

* * *

"So where is the Sphere?" Bloom asked Apris once the girls were inside the monastery.

"It's located on the bottom floor of the underground chambers," the fairy of wind replied. "But to get there you have to go down some spiral stairs." Apris put a finger to her lips. "But we must be quiet. They are having a service."

"A service?" Layla asked.

"Yes," the green haired fairy replied. "The monks here have a service every day. They burn inscensce around the statue of Fayerbrand the Dragon of Nature." she pointed toward the tabernackle. "See?"

Flora and the rest of thre girls looked toward the tabernackle. They saw green robes monks walking around a huge statue of a forest and grass green dragon with emerald stones for eyes. The dragon looked like it could come alive any minute.

_Fayerbrand, _Flora thought. _I'll have to remember that name..._

* * *

"Everyone get behind me," Iris ordered at the rest of the pixies flew around in panicked circles. "We must protect the Sphere."

The other pixies finnally got ahold of themselves. They quickly got into place behind the lead pixy. Iris opened her arms out wide and shouted. "Don't you dare come any closer, Zackwell! How did you even get in here? The barrior should have kept you out!"

Zackwell's black lips curled up in a grin that showed way too many teeth. "I am more powerful than those pathetic barriors," he boasted, walking toward the pixies. "Nothing can keep me from taking the Sphere of Nature and adding its power to my own."

"_I'll_ keep you away from it," the blue haired pixie shouted, charging up a magical attack. "Take this!"

A huge ball of green light flew at the former Lord of Darkness. Zackwell easily caught the magic in his hand. "How pathetic," he said crushing the spell.

Iris stared at him in horror. "Oh my word!" she exclaimed as the other pixies flew infront of her protectively.

Zackwell laughed at them and with one swing of his hand knocked them all against the wall. "Now to get the Sphere," he took a step toward the Alter that held the Sphere.

* * *

The girls found the spiral staires that led to the lowest level and descanded them. "We'll be there soon," Apris told the other six girls. "Let's just hope Iris and her servants were able to protect the Sphere."

"I hope so," Flora said. "I would hate myself if Zackwell got the Sphere before we did."

"Let's just hope he hasn't," Bloom said. "Who knows what will happen when he gets his hands on the Sphere of Nature."

The girls had almost reached the bottom of the stairs when Stella exclaimed pointing at the bottom of the spiral. "LOOK!"

The other fairies looked down. They saw a shadowy figure in the room at the bottom of the steps. It was reaching its hand out to grab the Sphere of Nature.

"That must be Zackwell!" Tenca gasped.

Bloom fluttered her wings and rose off the floor. "C'mon, Winx Club," she said looking at the other fairies. "We have to stop him!"

* * *

Zackwell stood before the Alter and stared at the Sphere of Nature, his corrupted mind full of lust. "Soon," he told himself. "Soon I'll have all the power in the universe as is my due." he smiled as his hands reached out to pick up the Sphere. "That's when I'll use all that power to rule the universe and _nobody_ can stop me! MWAHAHAHAA!"

"Oh, no you don't!" a voice shouted from above.

"Huh?" the former Lord of Darkness looked up. He saw fire coming at him. "What is this?" and raised his hand and caught the burning sphere.

Black eyes turning red with anger, he looked toward the stairs. He saw seven fairies hovering in the air three feet above him. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The red haired fairy clad in the blue said. "We are the Winx Club and we have come to stop you!"

Zackwell smiled mockingly. "Winx Club eh? You think _you_ can stop _me_?" he demanded. "You fools don't realize what you're up against. The _power _you're up against!"

"We've fought far worse than you!" the blue clad fairy shot back.

"Oh, really?" he asked digging his nails into the fire spell in his hand. "That's what you think. Have you ever seen anyone do _this _before?" The fire turned black.

She stared at him in horror. "You corrupted my Dragon Fire!" she gasped.

Zackwell chuckled. "Yes, I have," he said. "Now you can have it back!" he threw the spell right into her.

Before she could move the spell hit her so hard she crashed to the floor.

"Bloom!" a fairy with long brown hair and clad in pink, exclaimed, flying down to her blue friend

"Fools," he said again. "I'm more powerful than _anything_ you have ever gone up against! Now if you'll all just stand aside like the good little fairies you are I'll be taking what I came for." The former lord of Darkness turned back to the Sphere of Nature and took it up in his hands. As he vanished he called out. "See you later, _Winx Club! _BWAHAHAHA!"

_A/N_

_This is the part in my dream where I woke up. Never fear I had the dream again another night. Just to let you all know now; Zackwell has no interest whatsoever in the Dragon Fire or Bloom._


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 12

"No!" Musa exclaimed as she watched him vanish. "He got away with the Sphere!"

"We should go after him," Tecna said.

"But we don't know where he went," Layla said hovering to the floor and leaning down to examine the pixies. "It lookslike they'll be fine."

"Forget them," Stella cut in casting a worried look at the Dragon Fire fairy. "What about Bloom?"

"I'm fine," the red head said sitting up and holding her head. "But what happened?"

"Zackwell used your own magic against you," Apris replied. "He can do that."

"And the Sphere?"

"He took it," Flora answered that one, looking at the Alter for a moment.

Suddenly the place began to shake. "What's that?" Musa asked trying to keep her balance. "What's going on?"

The floor benieth them began to give away. In its place poured molten lava.

"The Sanctuary is deteriorating," Apris explained. "Without the Sphere's power the whole place will disappear. We have to get out of here now!"

Layla held the pixies in her arms. "I agree. Let's go."

The seven fairies quickly flew back uo the stairs. "What about the monks in the tabernackle?" Flora asked as they went. "We have to warn them before they get killed by this!'

Apris looked at the fairy of Nature's face. She saw something in the brown haired fairies eyes, compassion. Flora didn't like it when people died and neither did Apris if she could help it. She nodded. "Okay," she agreed. "Let's warn them."

Flora shot her a greatful look.

The girls flew to the tabernackle only to find that all the monks had vanished as well as the Emerald statue of the dragon Fayerbrand. "Where did they go?" Flora asked.

"They must have felt the tremors and left," Musa guessed, looking around., "I think we should go too. Look!"

The fairies looked down at the floor. It was beginning to melt away.

"Good idea," Layla agreed. She looked upward and saw an open window. "We can use that to get out of here!" she said pointing.

The girls agreed and flew upward. They shot out of the window. Flora was the last to go. As she exited the monastery she felt a strange pull in her body and her wings suddenly stopped working. With a scream she fell backwards back the way she had come!

* * *

"Why would Lord Darkar hide anything _here_?" Darcy asked looking around the Sanctuary of Fire. "This place looks like a volcano."

"That's because it _is _a volcano," Icy snapped, glaring around the fiery room. "But where in here would he hide the Sphere of Fire?"

Lord Darkar and Shiva had tried the best they could to explain things to the three witches. As is turned out the witches knew a lot about the legend but had a bit of a time believing it was true, even though Shive had frozen Icy.

Suddenly Icy's shadow tranformed into the shadowy form of Lord Darkar. "You'll have to go farther down into the volcano to find it," he told them.

"Into the lava?" Icy asked looking down into the molten pit. "We can't do that. We'll be killed!"

That struck him funny and Darkar let out a snort of laughter then got control of himself. He didn't want them thinking he was making fun of them, otherwise they might not do this for him. "There's another way down into the Alter Room," he explained, using the shadow to point toward a cavern to their left. "Go that way. There is a path that leads to the alter room in there but I must warn you; if you try to leave the path or fly over it you could be killed. Just keep your feet on the path and you'll be fine."

"What happens when we reach the Alter Room?" Darcy wanted to know.

"The Sphere is guarded by three Guardian Pixies," he explained. "All you have to do to get past them is show them the items I gave you earlier and they'll hand it over. You think you can do this without causing any problems?"

"I'm sure we an," Icy told him.

"Good," the Lord of Fire said, nodding with satisfaction. "Then I'll leave you now." Icy's shadow returned to nromal.

"Okay, you heard him, ladies," Icy said looking at her sisters. "All we have to do is go down that path over there, talk to some annoying fire pixies, show them our Gloomix (Because that had been the only items he had ever given them), and get them to hand over the Sphere."

"I hope we can get to it before this Zackwell guy," Darcy said as the three witches headed toward the cavern that held the path they had to take. "I can't believe that jerk would try to take over the universe! Nobody can take over the universe but _us_!"

Icy and Stormy nodded with agreement.

A few minutes later the girls reached the Alter Room. Walls of fire surrounded a white stone floor and an Alter of molten lava. On the top of the Alter was the red and organge and yellow Sphere of Fire.

"There it is," Icy said taking a step forward. "Now all we have to do if get this and bring it to L.D."  
"Halt!" a sudden voice commanded.

The ice witch stopped in her tracks. "Who's there?" she demanded, looking around.

Three figures materialized out of the fire wall. Three male pixies clad in fiery armor.

"Who are they?" Darcy asked, eyeing the pixies.

"We are the Guardian Pixies of the Fire Sphere," the lead pixy, one dressed as a samuria, replied. "Who are you and what brought you here?"

"We are the Trix Sisters Icy, Darcy, and Stormy," Icy replied. "We were sent here by Lord Darkar."

"How can we be sure you're not working for the Black One?" the pixy demanded.

"Move aside, sister," Stormy said in a bad temper. "I'll move those little bugs." she started to charge up a spell.

"Hold it," Darcy said putting out her arm to stop the storm witch. "Don't you remember what he said? All we have to do it show these losers our Gloomix and they'll give the Sphere to us."

"Oh yeah," Stormy said remembering now. "I forgot."

Dacry stepped tpoward the pixies. "Take a look at this," she said thrusting out her arm.

The pixies flew forward and looked at the jewelery on the witche's arm. "Okay," the leader said nodding. He looked over his shoulder at the other two behind him. "They are okay."

The other pixies moved away from the Sphere.

"Thank you," Darcy said.

The three witches walked toward the alter. "This was easy," Icy said reaching out a hand to pick up the Sphere. "Now all we have to do is take this back to L.D. and things will return to normal."

"That's what you think," a voice said suddenly.

Icy froze (no pun intended). "What was that?" she asked looking around.

"I don't know," Darcy said, pointing toward the far wall. "But I think it came from over there!"

The witches and the pixies all looked toward the wall. They all saw some sort of discoloration swirling there in colors of black and purple. Within the vortex a figure imerged. ( ---- can't spell it!)

It looked like a man. He had long black hair, black eyes, dark skin and lips, and wore a black tunic and breaches held up by a dark belt of a slightly lighter color. He grinned at the others, his teeth surprisingly white.

"Who are you?" Icy demanded, eyeing the black thing.

The black figure's grin got bigger as he said, taking a step forward. "My name is Zackwell the Real Lord of Darkness. I have come to claim the Sphere of Fire."

"Oh yeah, well I'm Icy and I'm not going to let you," the ice witch said as she and her sisters stepped between the Dark Lord and the Sphere.

Zackwell just smiled confidently. "Well, Lord Darkar's little whores, I hightly doubt that!"

"What did you call us?" Darcy demanded shocked at the words he used.

Black wings came out of him back and spread out wide. "I called you whores," he replied flapping his wings. "Because that's all you are!"

"How _dare_ you!" Stormy shouted charging up and attack. "Twister!"

The former Lord of Darkness dodged the attack and charged up one of his own. "Atomic Darkness!" he shouted, throwing the magic at the three witches.

Dacry and Stomry managed to get out of the way but the attack was able to hit Icy who was a bit slower. With a scream so out of her character, she was thrown off the ledge and down into the lava pit under the platform.

_A/N_

_I am not going to kill the witches so please don't start thinking that! Zackwell had a bit of a bad mouth now doesn't he? Anyway; The reason Lord Darkar had the witches get his Sphere was because he doesn't trust the Winx Club. He would rather have someone he knew pretty well get it for him not someone he just met. _


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 14

"Icy!" Darcy screamed, watching her senseless sister plummet down into the core of the volcano.

Stomy acted at once. Rising into the air she chased after her sister.

Darcy turned to Zackwell who was reaching for the Sphere. "How _dare_ you hurt my sister!" she shouted. Her eyes turned white as she created a spelled. "Chaotic Darkness!"

The spell flew at the former Lord of Darkness but did no harm whatsoever. Darcy watched in horror as the spell was absorbed into him.

"Do you think my own element could hurt me?" he demanded, glaring at her. He raised his arm and used his own dark magic to knock her at the pixies away from the Sphere.

As Darcy and the pixies got back up, ready to lay a number on him, Zackwell grabbed the Sphere and vanished, laughing madly.

"Damn!" the darkness witch cursed stomping her foot. "He got away with it!"

Just then Stormy and Icy flew back into the Alter Room. "What happened?" Icy asked her sister. "Where is the Sphere?"

Darcy looked at them and shook her head sighing. "He got away with it..."

"WHAT!" Icy gasped. "Why didn't you try to stop him?"

"I did!" Darcy shot back. "But he was too strong even for me!"

Stormy shook her head. "Lord Darkar isn't going to like this..."

* * *

"Flora! Flora are you all right?"

The fairy of Nature heard someone calling her. She wanted to answer and opened her eyes. She saw her friends leaning over her, their faces filled with concern.

"What happened?" she asked, sitting up. She looked around herself. She was in a field and nowhere near the Sanctuary of Nature.

"We don't know," Layla said sitting on the grass beside her. "One minute you were following us out of the Sanctuary and the next you were falling."

Flora noticed Apris looked a bit spaced. "Did something happen?" the pink clad fairy asked her.

Apris looked at her. "You'll have to ask him," she said stepping aside.

Just then an aquatic looking man with long blue hair and eyes, and wearing an ocean colored robes over his light blue features came out of what seemed like nowhere. He looked at all the girls and Flora noticed he was quite hot.

"Hello girls," he said. "My name is Leviathan. I am the Lord of Water. Apris has informed me that you were unable to get the Sphere of Nature before Zackwell did."

"That's true," Bloom said looking away. "We are sorry."

Leviathan shook his head. "It's nothing," he told them. "The only thing to do is try to retrieve the next one before he discovers its location too."

"Where is it?" Layla asked.

"I can show you," he said. "But I can only take you as far as the entrance." he clapped his hands and muttered some old magical words. _"Transefor esta setta now."_

Suddenly the ground seemed to zip by them and just as it had started the girls and Levithan stopped in a totally different location.

"What?" Strella gasped, looking around. "Where are we?" They had come to a stop by a crystal clear body of water.

"This is the Senored Lake," the Lord of Water replied. "It is the entrance to the Sanctuary of the Water Sphere."

The girls stared at the water. Flora could see all the way to the bottom she also saw a strange city under there like Atlantis or something. The others noticed it too because Musa asked looking back up at Leviathan. "How are we going to get inside?"

Leviathan replied. "I'll give you special air bubbles to breathe with," he explained. "I'll also need to communicate with you all."

"How are you going to do that if you can't go into the Sanctuary?" Flora inquired.

Leviathan held up a silver necklase with an aquamarine colored stone hanging from the silverblue chain. "Wear this," he instructed the fairy of Nature. "I'll speak to you through it."

Flora took the necklase and put it on. The stone glowed with a bright light. "Is this a Calling Gem?' she asked.

"Yes," he said nodding.

"What's a Calling Gem?" Stella asked.

"A Calling Gem is used to communicate with people from great distances," Apris explained. "It's better than a cell phone because it can also be used to summon that person back from where ever they are. All you have to do is call the person's name and they'll come to you through the gem. This the name "Calling Gem'."

"Cool," Stella said eyeing the stone. "Maybe I should get one of those. It would be perfect to use when I want to go out on a date with Brandon."

"Anyway," Leviathan cut in to get the girls back on their mission. "I'll use that to tell you girls where to go and what to do until you get the Sphere. Once you have the Sphere in you possesion I'll summon you all out of the Sanctuary."

"Okay, sounds like a plan," Bloom agreed, nodding. "I think we'd better get down there now."

"Right," the Lord of Water said. "Okay, girls, stand next to each other so I can get you all at once."

Once the seven girls were standing side by side the Lord of Water raised his arms and started a spell. "_Arken Clorun des tell von!" _after he finished uttering these words seven large bubbles of air appeared around the girls. "Okay," he said. "Now you are ready. Good luck."

The seven faires turned away from him and one by one they jumped into the clear, fresh water and to the world below it. Before Flora could even admire the beauty they passed the girls resurfaced and found themselves at the other side of a pond covered in water lilies.

"Let's go," Apris said motioning for the girls to follow her. The fairies walked around a white marble statue of the water god Neptune. On the other side of the statue was a place that looked like a Greek temple.

White marble columns rose up out of the crystal clear waters. Green ivy covered the pillars and walls. In the very center ot the Temple was a waterfall that came down from the sky. When Flora looked up to see how that was possible she discovered that the water came from a hole in a magical barriors that seperated the Santuary from the river. Flora noticed the water never seemed to get any deeper.

_I wonder if the power of the Sphere keeps that barrior from collapsing? _she thought.

"Look, there's the Sphere!" Musa shouted, pointing at the waterfall. "Down there!"

Flora looked down at the watefall. She saw the dark and light blue Sphere of Water floating in the very center of the ever running waterfall.

"I'll get it," Layla said flapping her wings and rising off the ground.

"Be careful," Bloom cautioned her friend. "Zackwell might appear any minute."

"I'll be careful. I promise," the fairy of tides said as she flew down toward the Sphere.

Everyone watched her fly down to the waterfall. When she reached the Sphere she took it in her hands. "I got it!" she called to her friends.

The girls cheered.

It was at the moment that Flroa looked at the water below the watefall. She gasped when she saw the clear water suddenly turned black and bubble up dark purple foam.

"LAYLA!" she screamed realizing what it was instantly. "Layla get out of there! It's Zackwell!"

The dark skinned fairy froze with the water Sphere clutched in her hands. "Zackwell?" she asked looking around. "Where?"

"In the water below you!" Stella shouted, also noticing the discoloration in the water.

"Below me?" Layla looked down.

Suddenly something shot out of the water and slammed into the fairy. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed as she was sent flying, still clutching the Sphere.

"LAYLA!" the other fairies screamed.

"C'mon girls," Bloom said to her friends. "We have to help her!"

The other faired nodded nervously then flew at the black former Guardian.

"Hey!" Stella shouted at Zackwell. "Let's see you go up against the power of Selaria!" she raised her staff. "Solar Flare!"

A huge ball of light surounded Zackwell. Stella smiled with satisfaction but that smile didn't last long. Suddenly the flare vanished as if it had never been there and revealed a grinning former Guardian.

"What!" Stella gasped.

"That was a very stupid move, fairy," he said raising his arms. "Now feel the power of darkness!"

Suddenly the whole Sanctuary became as black as night.

_A/N_

_The bubbles disappeared when they resurfaced. Just thought I'd let you all know. I'm not sure I spelled Salaria right..._


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 15

_Flora, what is going on? _Leviathan's voice came through the Calling Gem.

The fairy of Nature tried to look around the darkened sanctuary but saw only more darkness. "I don't know," she said into the gem. "I can't see anything."

_What do you mean you can't see anything?_

"Zackwell is here," she replied clasping the gem in her fingers.

_What? How did he get there so quickly?  
_"I don't know but he used some sort of darkness spell and now we can't see anything." she heard Stella shout "Turn on the lights!"

_What? He used Confusing Darkness?_

"I don't know. Maybe."

_I'm getting you out of there._

"But..."

_If you stay in there any longer you'll be permanently blinded. _

"What?"

_Bring forth the Winx Club! Calling Gem use your power and bring them from the Darkness to the Light!  
_Suddenly Flora felt herself being pulled away at a rapid pace. When she opened her eyes she found herself and her friends standing around the lake entrance of the Sanctuary of Water.

"How did we get back here?" Stella asked looking around herself.

"It was the Calling Gem I gave you," Leviathan explained. "But where is the Sphere?"

All the girls looked over at Layla. Her hands were empty. "It's gone," Bloom said, annoyed.

"Zackwell must have taken it from me when he used that darkness spell," Layla said, looking worried and upset. "I'm sorry, guys."

"It's okay," Tecna told her, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "But now he has another Sphere and we don't have any."

"He has four now," Leviathan told them.

The girls all looked at him, suprised by ths news. "Four?" they all said in one voice.

Levithan looked like he didn't like the news either. "Yes. The Sphere of Nature, my Sphere, the Sphere of Fire, and the Sphere of Air and Wind," the aquatic Lord replied. "The Air Sphere was the only Sphere he was able to get on his first try."

"So where should we go now?" Bloom wanted to know. "There are only four Sphere's left."

"He'll be able to help you with that," Leviathan said as another figure materialized right next to him.

The girls stared. A man with dirt colored hair cut short, brown eyes, sandstone colored skin, and robed in a habit the colors of soil and rocks stood next to the Lord of Water.

"I am Belzack," he said even before anyone asked who he was. "I am the Lord of Earth and Stone."

"Don't tell me," Stella said toying with her long blond hair. "We have to go protect your Sphere next."

Belzack nodded. "But this time you won't be by yourselves," he said. "I spoke with the teachers at Red Fountain and they are sending five of their Specialists to come with you."

"That means the boys are coming!" Stella exclaimed, enthralled at the thought of seeing her shnookums again.

Flora smiled as well. This would give her a chance to talk to Helia and tell him what has happened since their date on the lake. _The lake, _the fairy of Nautre thought, suddenly feeling sad. That was where Helia had promised to never leave her no matter what. Would he be able to keep his promise even though her dreams were becoming a reality?

_I hope so, _she prayed. _I wouldn't want anything bad happening to him._

_

* * *

_

A long time later the fairies and the Heroes landed a ship in the middle of the desert. A sandstorm blew around them but cleared up quickly after they all got out of the ship. Flora couldn't help feeling that they were stepping out into a huge hour glass with the Sands Of Time blowing around them and making things seem much older than they really were.

"So where is the Earth Sanctuary?" Stella asked looking around.

"Right there!" Brandon answered pointing to their left.

The fairys all looked where his finger pointed. They all stared up at a huge pyramid. Even though it looked centuries old it didn't seem to be crumbling.

"Is that the Sanctuary?" Flora saked, looking up at the huge stone tomb.

"Yes," Apris confirmed folding her arms as she stared at the tomb. "It was built with earth and stone so it is the perfect place to hold a Sphere of the same element." She looked at the guys. "Let me just warn you about one thing, heroes. Since you are not faires and have no magical powers you must be very careful in there. The place is full of guards. If you run into any guards do not pick a fight with them. Just let them pass. Do not provoke them. If you do provoke them they will go after you."

"Thanks, we'll remember that," Brandon said folding his arms. "I think we should go in now."

"Okay, let's go in," she said, leading the way to the pyramid's entrance.

The entrace was only a few feet away so they reached in pretty quickly. When they tried to get in the found the door was sealed shut by a stone lock shaped like the Cross of Life.

"Great, now what?" Riven asked, glaring at the door.

"The door is sealed shut by a lock spell," Layla ssaid examining the door. "I think we should use a spell to unlock it."

"But Belzack didn't give us the spell to undo this one," Musa said. "What should we do?"

"This should be easy to get into," Tenca said knealing down infront of the lock. She pulled out her little computer. "Maybe I can find a spell that can pick the lock and let us in."

"Oaky," Sky said, standing behind her. "Go ahead and give it a try."

Tecna linked the lock to her computer and typed in a code. It didn't take long for her to find the proper spell to undo the lock. Within seconds the Cross of Life split in half and crumbled away then vanished with a small flash of light.

"Okay," Tecna said putting away her computer and standing back up. "Let's go in."

_A/N_

_I finally found something for Tenca to do so she would seem like more of a part of the story instead of a background fairy._


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 16

The Sanctuary of Earth and Stone was riddled with passage after passage. Some led to false exits and others led them to the center of the tomb. This turned out to be the perfect place for Tecna to use her navigator. Thanks to her they never got lost.

"I'm glad you brought that, Tecna," Sky said looking over her shoulder at the small computer. "I never would have been able to find my way through here without it."

"That's why it's always a good idea to bring a navigator with you when you go into a pyramid," she said. She looked over at her boyfriend. "Right Timmy?"

"That's right, Tec," the glasses wearing hero agreed winking at her.

"Okay," Riven said a few minutes later. "We've been walking down this path for over half an hour. When are we going to reach the Alter Room?"

"Soon," Tecna said still staring at the navigator. "It's just around the next corner."

Stella was ready to point something out. "If we are having such a hard time getting to the Alter Room I bet Zackwell is having a hard timetoo! In fact I bet he's got himself stuck in one of the false passages!"

Flora wanted to point out that Zackwell always appeared in the Alter Room without taking any of the routes they took but she kept her mouth shut. Let Stella think what she wanted, even if she was wrong.

Just then they rounded a corner and found themselves in the Alter Room. Flora stopped to stare. The room looked like the treasure house of a tomb. A huge boat full of treasue leaned against the left side wall. One the wall to their right hyroglyphics covered the entire stone. Scattered all over the floor were jewels of saphire, rudy, topaz, and bearl. In the very center of the room was the alter. A huge three foot tall slabe of sandstone covered in ancient writing. The sand and stone colored Sphere hovered a few inches above the alter, spinning slowly around in small circles.

"Look," Bloom said.

"It's the Sphere of Earth and Stone," Apris said starting toward it. "it seems that Zackwell hasn't discovered its whereabouts yet. Let's get it before he does." she put out her hands to grab the orb.

Just as the wind fairies fingers touched the Sphere it turned black and the pyramid began to shake.

"What's this?" Sky asked as everyone struggled to keep their balance.

The blackened Sphere rose from the alter. A voice suddenly seemed to speak from it. "This is called me burrying you annoying mortals alive!"

"Zackwell!" Apris exclaimed looking around. "Where are you?"  
The voice held a laughing note to it. "I'm right in front of you."  
Everyone looked back at the Sphere. A black shadow appreared behind it and as it melted away Zackwell materialized in it's place holding the Sphere in his hands.

"Zackwell!" Sky shouted activating his sword.

The dark etheral being grinned, his mouth showing strange white teeth. "And now I bid you farewell!" he said before vanishing into think air.

The rumbling got worse at the Dark Lord's departure and as it did some the pyriamid began to fill with sand. "I don't like the looks of this," Riven said staring at the sand piling up on the floor. "Let's get out of here!"

"C'mon girls," Timmy called to the fairies as everyone either ran or flew out of the Alter room.

They got as far as the hall with multiple passages and stopped. "How do we get out of here?" Brandon asked, looking from passage to passage.

"Let me see," Tecna said going back to her navigator. "Left!"

Everyone went left and not a moment too soon. Just as they exited the room it began to fill with sand that slowly spread down the hall.

"We'd better get out of here before we're buried alive!" Flora shouted, looking over her shoulder at the sand that was catching up.

"Just a few more passages and we'll be out," Tecna said staring at her navigator. She glanced down at the boys. "Hurry up, Timmy!"

"I'm going as fast as I can, Tec!" he called up to her.

"How are you doing down there, Helia?" Flora called to the blue haired specialist.

"This is nothing," he called up to her. "Don't worry about it."

Suddenly Bloom spotted a light ahead of them. "I see the exit!" she called. "Just a few more feet guys!"

"Thank God," Sky panted. "If I have to run much longer I'll pass out!"

Everyone was able to get out in time to avoid being buried under the sand. As they stood around the pyramid the huge stone building collapsed into the ground.

* * *

"So what are we going to do now?" Stella asked as everyone stood panting. "We have gone to three different places already and we haven't been able to get any of the Spheres."

"We'll just have to go to another place," Flora said. "There's nothing else we ca do."

"But how? And where?"

Suddenly the sky turned orange and red.

"What's going on?" Musa asked staring at the sky. "Why did the sky suddenly change colors like that?"

"Look!" Flora shouted pointing at the sky. "Over there! It's-"

"Lord Darkar!" Sky exclaimed raising his sword. "What's he doing here?"

"I don't know," Bloom said staring at the Phoenix. "But I don't think we should fight him until he find out what he wants."

The others agreed.

A few minutes later the Phoenix landed on the ground and took on its humanoid form. "Hello, there fairies," Lord Darkar said walking toward them.

"What are you doing here?" Sky demanded stepping protectively in front of Bloom.

"I'm here to take you to the Realm of Glaciers," ther Lord of Fire replied.

"Why can't we just take the ship?" Tenca asked.

"Because it won't work there," he replied. "That's why the other Guardians sent me."

"Why?" Steall asked, giving him a Look. "You're tacky!"

_What is it with women! _"The other Guradians just wanted to me, okay," he said, annoyed at the sun fary. "I know you don't want me to and I don't want to either but you might as well, otherwise, Zackwell will get the rest of the Spheres."

"I think we should," Flora spoke up.

"Huh?" everyone stared at her.

"It won't do any good to fight with him," she explained. "Let's just set aside our differences this once and work together."

"Okay, Flora," Bloom agreed giving in. "Let's do it." She turned to Darkar. "Okay. You can take us."

"I'm glad you changed your mind," he said as his form changed. "Let's go."

_A/N_

_I hope you don't get all like, "Why are they trusting him like that?" well for one thing if they don't an even worse evil will take over the universe. _


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 7

The Realm of Glacuirs was one of the coldest and barrenest realms in the entire magical universe. The whole realm was covered in a thick sheet of ice. The only living things that could survive there were ocras, penguins, and polar bear like creatures.

"What a sad place," Flora remarked as Darkar flew her and the others over the Realm. "I can't hear very many voices of life here."

"That's because almost every creature that lived here died long ago," Darkar replied. "The only things that can live here now are the animals that can stand this kind of weather and the ice spirits that guard the Santuary."

"How far till we get there?" Bloom wanted to know.

"It's just ahead," the Lord of Fire replied.

Stella stared ahead. "All I see is a huge snow covered mountain."

"The Sanctaury is within that mountain below the glaciur," Darkar explained. "We'll be there soon."

"That's good," Stella sasid. "I can't stand another minute riding on you."

"You weren't my first choice either," he shot back. He banked as he glided at a ledge. "Okay we're here. NOW GET OFF!"

"Fine with us," Sky retorted jumping off the shadow phoenix.

"Oh by the way," Darkar went on as the fairies and heroes climbed off him and onto the ledge. "I will be taking you all to the last two locations after this one so try to keep your insults to yourself and I'll do the same thing. You got that you ugly blond?"

"Sky is not ugly!" Bloom yelled at the phoenix.

"Think what you like," he retorted landing on the legde and returning to his normal form. "But I think you'd better get in there already."

"Yes," Flora cut in, not wanting Bloom and Sky staring an arguement with Darkar. "I think we _should _get inside. Thanks for bringing us here." her last statement was shot at Darkar.

"Yeah, whatever," he said looking away.

The teenagers headed inside. "Why do you guys always have to argue with him?" Flora demanded, looking over at Bloom, Sky, and Stella.

"Hey, it's not my faulty he has no taste!" Stella defended herself.

"He doesn't wear anything either."

"EWW!"

"I'm just glad we don't have to ride him anymore," Layla put in, who didn't like being near Lord Darkar because of what had happened between her and him at Shadowhaunt at the beginning of the school year.

The others couldn't agree more. Flora felt a little bit bad for the Lord of Fire. He wasn't being evil now. He was helping them out whether he or they wanted him to.

"Let's just get the Sphere and get out of here," Musa said shivering. "It's freezing in here!"

"Here you go," Riven said taking off his cape and draping it over her shouders.

Musa gave him a greatful look and smiled as she wrapped the cape around herself.

Just the Flora looked up and spotted something on the wall. It was a huge statue of a beautiful ice goddess. She had her hands out and something of an icy color rested in them. The goddess looked like she was offering the item to the younge people. _This sanctuary isn't very big, _Flora thought, looking around. _I wonder if the statue of the goddess is the Alter._

She decided to find out.

Flapping her forest green wings she rose in the air and flew toward the statue.

"Flora?" Tecna called, seeing what her friend was up to. "What are you doing?"

"Just checking something out," Flora said flying toward the statue. She could see the item in its hands clearly now. It was a round object in colors of ice blue and snow white. It glowed with an inner light and Flora knew instantly that it was the Sphere of Ice.

_I've found it. _she thought reaching for it. _I found it before Zackwell could._

Just as her fingers touched the Sphere the round object glittered strangely and seemed to pull her into it even though it really wasn't. Flora suddenly became aware of the smell of lilies and the voice with the power of a dragon speaking into her mind. _Chosen one... Chosen... It begins and ends with you..._

_What do you mean? _she asked. In her mind's eye a bright greenshish light shone in front of her. _Why are you telling me this?_

A figure suddenly appeared out of the light. At first it looked like Irisa but then it changed in size and shape and became a dragon of Nature, the color of grass and trees. It fixed its emerald green eyes on her and replied. _Because you're the Chosen one..._

Then, before she could ask the dragon what he had ment, she was returned to the Sanctuary of Ice. _What was that about? _she wondered, staring at the Sphere in her hands.

Suddenly a blast of flash frozen air blew through the sanctuary. It almost blew Fklora away from the statue but she was able to avoid that problem by flapping her wings hard. "What's going on?" she heard Bloom say from the path.

Before the fairy of Nature could even turn to reply the goddess suddenly turned black. The fairy's breath caught in her throat as something dark came out of it.

Zackwell, he had come for the Sphere of Ice.

The former Lord of Darkness locked eyes with her and grinned, showing off more teeth then his mouth looked like it could hold. "Hello, there," he said in a voice that sounded flirty. He reached his hand out toward the Sphere she held. "I'll be taking that."

Flora gasped and clutched the Sphere to her chest. Her mouth opened and she muttered the first spell she could think of. "Ivy web grow and spread."

Suddenly vines grew out of the statue. They wrapped around Zackwell, holding him for a few seconds.

The dark lord glared at her. "Wench!" he screamed, breaking the bindings.

Flora's green eyes grew huge as she panicked. Clutching the Sphere of Ice close to her chest she turned and fled deeper into the Sanctuary, her wings harder than she even thought possible.

Zackwell freed himself pretty quickly from the vines and when he was completely free he immediately went after the frightened fairy.

"Look!" Tecna screamed pointing at thew two figures. "It's Zackwell!"

"He's after Flora!" Bloom gasped, beginning to rise off the floor. "We have to help her. Come on girls."

"Right," the others said.

All six faires chased after Zackwell and Flora. Helia, Sky, and the other boys weren't far behind.

* * *

Flora flew as fast as her wings would let her. She had to get out of there. She had to get the Sphere out of there. But where was the exit? She couldn't remember.

She chanced a look over her shoulder. Zackwell was catching up rather quickly thanks to his own wings.

_He's going to catch me, _she thought feeling panicky. _What am I going to do? How am I going to get away from him?_

She could try to use magic again but it was very likely that it would have no affect on the former Lord of Darkness. She'd have to do something else.

Manuvering through the frozen Sanctuary, she tried to avoid Zackwell, who still seemed to be getting closer with each wing beat. She looked over her shoulder again.

Zackwell was charging up a magical attack. When he caught her eye he let it go. It flew right for her.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed as the spell carrened at her.

Suddenly a voice in the Sphere whispered. "Never fear, little one!" Then is flashed brightly. When this happened Zackwell's spell faded.

Flora sighed in relief. "That was close."

"But not close enough," said a voice above her.

"Huh?" she looked up just in tme to see Zackwell dive down at her.

The next instant they were in the middle of a tug-of-war.

_A/N_

_Not much to say about this chapter. All well. You might get mad at me for saying this but I do think Sky is ugly. _


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 18

Zackwell tried to tug the Sphere out of Flora's grip but found it a chore. The fairy of Nature would not let go, no matter how hard he yanked. "Let go, wench!" he growled.

Flora just ground her teeth and hung on tighter. There was no way she was going to let go. "Let go yourself!" she shouted, aiming a kick at his stomach.

When her foot hit his chest she almost cried out in pain. His chest was as hard as a rock. She would be surprised if she hadn't broken her own foot.

Zackwell grinned at her, once again showing more teeth than his mouth could possibly hold. A word came to mind. _Dragon._

Zackwell was a dragon. A dark dragon. Maybe even the same dragon that was in her dream and had flown over the school.

The dragon let go of the Sphere just then and grabbed her wrists instead. "You presistant aren't you?" he said holding her wrists in an iron grip. "Too bad it won't do you any good!"

With a mighty heave he slammed her against the wall. Flora let out a cry of pain and almost let go of the Sphere but held on tight. She had to hold on no matter what. The fairy of Nature pulled her legs up to her chest and rested the bottom of her boots on Zackwell's chest. With a mighty heave, she attempted to push him away from her.

It didn't work.

Zackwell just laughed at her pathetic attempt and smashed her head against the wall. A galaxy of brightly colored stars appeared before her eyes and she felt her grip on the Sphere loosening. _No! _she thought, trying to force her eyes back into forcus.

No use.

Zackwell wrenched the Sphere out of the hands and let her go. The fairy's wings went limp and she began falling. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was Zackwell smiling down at her. "Thanks for the Sphere," he said before he vanished.

* * *

Helia was the first person to spot Flora falling. "Flora!" he shouted, rushing forward.

"I'll get her!" Bloom called from the air.

Helia ignored her offer and rushed forward, going faster than any of them thought he could. He reached the fairy before anyone and caught her in his arms only seconds before she would have crashed into the rock hard ice floor.

"Flora," he said looking at her face.

"How is she?" Tecna as the fairies and heroes caught up with him.

"She unconcious," he said looking up at everyone. "But other than that she looks fine."

"Mmmm," the fairy moaned.

Helia looked back down at her. "Flora," he said shaking her gently. "Wake up, please."

The fairy of Nature slowly opened her eyes. She stared right at the blue haired boy's face. "He.. Helia," she started.

"Flora," he said. "Are you all right."

"What happened?" she asked, looking around.

"Zackwell went after you," he explained.

Suddenly she remembered something. "The Sphere!" she exclaimed, her eyes growing huge. "He got away with the Sphere! I'm so sorry!"

"That's all right," he told her. "You tried your best."

"And have nothing to show for it," Riven grunted, casting an annoyed glance at her. "Why didn't you just give the Sphere to us instead of flying away with it?"

"Riven!" Musa scolded him. "She tried her best. You should give her credit for that."

"Oh, I'll give her credit," he shot back. "I'll give her credit for failing!"

"Why are you acting so rude, Riven?" Bloom demanded. "You just started helping us out and you're acting like you've been here from the beginning!"

"Well _sorry_," he growled. "I just don't like failing that's all."

"Yeah, we got that," Layla chided him. "Just be nicer, okay?'

"Whatever," he said shrugging. "Let's go."

"Riven," Musa began.

Riven ignored her. He turned his back on everyone and headed out of the sanctuary. Everyone watched him go. "What's the matter with him?" Apris asked.

The others shrugged. "He's always like that," Sky told her.

"He sure is a grump," the fairy of Winds commented.

Nobody could agrue with her not even Musa. "Let's just go," Flora said as Helia set her down.

"Are you all right?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Let's get out of here before this place starts to melt."

"Starts to melt?"

"Whenever one of the Spheres gets stolen something bad happens," she replied.

"Oh."

After that there was no more conversation as they headed out of the sanctuary which was already beginning to melt. When they were outside again they found Lord Darkar talking to Shiva who had come to see how they were doing even though she couldn't enter the Sanctaury. By the look on Darkar's face they could tell something had put him in an even worse mood.

"What's going on?" Flora asked when the two directed their attention on the humans.

Darkar grunted and pointed an angry finger at the Lady of Ice. "Ask her," he muttered.

"Did something happen?" Flora asked, turning her attention on Shiva.

"Yes," the woman replied. "Zackwell now has the Sphere of Light too."

The teenagers didn't take that very well. "We're sorry," Bloom said.

"Don't be," Shiva said. "It'd not your fault but now you must head to the Sanctuary of Darkness right away. When you arrive you find even more help waiting for you."

"Who's going to help us this time?" Tecna wanted to know.

Neither Shiva or Darkar ever gave a reply.

* * *

"The _Witches_!" Stella exclaimed after Darkar had dropped them off at the Darkness Sanctuary, a dark dismal indoor cemetary like place. "Why did they send _you _guys here?" the fairy of light glared at the three witch sisters.

"Why did they send you losers here?" Icy shot back just as grumpily. "We don't need any help from you guys!"

"Oh yeah?" Musa challenged.

"Yeah!" chimed in Stormy, her face getting close to the fairy of music's.

"Enough!" Bloom cut in getting between her friends and enemys. "We don't have time for this! Let's just forget about fighting for now and get the Sphere before Zackwell does."

"Who made you the leader?" Icy demanded.

"I think she makes a great leader," Sky cut in.

"Well I don't," Darcy exclaimed getting in his face. "And you're ugly!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" he demanded.

The witch laughed. "Ha! You just admitted you are ugly!" she and the other witches started laughing their heads off.

The prince growled. "Why you!" he reached for his sword.

"Stop it!" Flora broke in before they all started fighting. "We all want the same thing remember? Let's forget about our feud for now and get it."

"The tree hugger makes sense," Icy conceded. "Let's get this over with so we don't have to see each other's faces anymore."

_A/N_

_Flora would probably be the only one who would be able to stop a fight between her friends and enemys. She seems to be the type._


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 19

The sanctuary of Darkness provedto be one of the smallest Sanctuaries. It was so small that when they entered they could see the Sphere all the way on the other side of the room.

"It seems we won't be having any trouble getting _that _Sphere," Rivrn said, casting a meaningful glance at Flora.

"I'm glad," Darcy agreed. "That means we'll hardly be spending any time with you losers at all," she stepped to the front of the group. "You all wait here. I'll get it."

"Darcy," Flora began to warn her to be careful.

But the witch wasn't listening. She flew toward the alter with an extreamly cocky look on her face. _This is going to be easy!_

Flora and the others watched Darcy fly toward the alter. Suddenly the fairy of Nauture felt something and stared at the Alter. The area behind it looked way too dark. Flora instantly knew what it was.

"Darcy, no!" the fairy screamed, rising into the air and going after the witch. She had to stop Dsarcy before something bad happened.

She didn't get there in time.

Darcy flew up the stairs and landed by the Alter. The instant she put her hands on the Sphere a huge explosion of electricity rose up from the Sphere and shocked her.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed in pain.

"DARCY!" Icy screamed as she and the others went after Flora.

The witch was flung to the floor. Flora hovered over her. "Darcy?" she said worridly.

Laughter made her look up. The darkness took on a form. Zackwell stood behind the alter. "Such a foolish woman," he laughed.

"What did you do to her?" Flora demanded.

"Let's just say she won't be doing much anymore." he laughed again.

For some reason his lack of remorse angered Flora. Though she cared little for the witches she couldn't stand to see anyone hurt so badly. She glared at Zackwell hatefully. "How... HOW DARE YOU!" she screamed.

Zackwell stopped laughing and stared at the fairy. She was covered in a greenish light. "What!"

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" she shouted before she let loose an attack she'd never used before. "ROSE STORM!"

All of a sudden Zackwell felt himself being blown away by an unusually strong attack that actually hurt him! He had not expected that, especially from the fairy of Nature.

For a second everyone froze in shock at what had just happened. Bloom and everyone else because Flora's magic had been so powerful, Zackwell because he couldn't believe a simple fairy could hurt him like she had.

The next second the former lord of Darkness jumped back to his feet, grabbed the Sphere, and vanished. Once he was gone Icy and Stormy ran over to their fallen sister and leaned over her.

"Darcy!" Icy exclaimed holding her sister's head up. "Darcy are you awake? Speak to me!"

"Is she okay?" Bloom asked as she and the others surounded the three witches.

Icy looked up at them and shook her head. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "I think she's dead!"

"DEAD!" everyeone gasped.

"Let me take a look," Flora offered walking toward the group.

"What will you be able to do, fairy?" Icy demanded. "You won't be able to heal her."  
"Maybe not," Flora dmitted. "But maybe I can help her a little if you'll let me." she saw Icy was about to protest then added. "Icy, this isn't the time or place to start a squable. The more you say no the worse Darcy is going to get."  
Icy finally gave in at that threat. "Fine," she said. "Just don't try any of your wimpy spells on her."

"Okay," Flora agreed. She knelt down beside the witch and moved her hands around.

Darcy began to glow slightly but only for a few seconds. The light faded quickly and Flora stopped moving her hands and opened her eyes which she had closed. She looked at Icy and Stormy. "She's alive," she told them. "But just barely. I think we'd better take her to the Realm of Mirrors and have Miranda take a look at her."

* * *

Zackwell stormed angrily into his former Realm and put the Sphere of Darkness next to the other six Spheres. There were only six others because recently Zackwell had found out that the Sphere of Nature was fake and had shattered it, causing what little power it had had in it to return to the Real Sphere. Now as he stood before the Spheres, breathing angrily he raged over the fairy that had hurt him.

"How dare she!" he almost screamed to the dark walls. "How _could_ she? How could a wimpy fairy of her element harm me? Me! The ruler of Darkness!"

Then something came to him and he knew... KNEW why she had been able to hurt him. He just couldn't understand it...

_But I will find out and when I do that little pink fairy if will become of use to me!

* * *

_

"How is she?" Flora asked as she and the others leaned over Miranda who was examining Darcy. "Will she be okay?"

The Lady of Light looked up at them and shook her head. "I'm not sure," she replied. "I'll do the best I can but Zackwell took away most of my power so I might not be able to do much."

"You'd better be able to do _something_," Icy growled. "If anything happens to my sister-"

"Even if I cannot help her she will live," Miranda told her. "But she probably won't ever be the same unless we do something about Zackwell."

"But what can we do?" Tecna wanted to know. "He has all the Spheres."

"Not all of them," the Lady of Light muttered though no one heard her.

Suddenly all the mirrors went dark.

"What's happening?" Tecna asked looking around the Room of Insights. "Why have all the mirrors gone dark?"

Leviathan growled angrily as the answer came to him. "Zackwell!"

Everyone stared at him.

"He has begun," the Lord of Water explained.

"Begun what?" Layla asked.

"He's begun to use the Spheres," Lord Darkar replied clenching his fists. "Once Zackwel taps into their power they will become corrupted and under his complete control. When this happenes he will 'purify' the universe."

"What can we do?" Musa wanted to know.

Leviathan pointed at the seven fairies. "You must go out there and stop him."

"By ourselves?" Stella asked. "What about the boys?"

"The boys will not be able to help you," Belzack let them know. "Only magic can be used against him."

Bloom nodded. "We understand," she turned to the others. "Let's go."

Before they did Helia walked toward Flora and kissed her. "For luck," he said smiling. "Come back soon, Flora."

"I will," she replied blushing. "I promise."

_A/N_

_It has begun._


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 20

The Guardians sent the fairies right to the spot where Zackwell was. He was in the very center of the sky, in full view of everything. He was in his dragon form and seemed to be waiting for something.

"There he is!" Bloom called to her friends when she spotted him. "Right over there!"

The other fairies spotted him too and instantly flew toward him, readying spells as they did so.

"Zackwell!" Bloom shouted as the fairies hovered around the big black Bahamut. "Your quest for power ends here!"

"Oh yes, it does," he said eyeing Flora. "For you have brought the Final Power to me!"

The fairies stared at him, confused. "What does he mean by that?" Layla asked, looking at her friends.

None of them could answer. His reply had confused them as well.

"What do you mean?" Musa demanded.

"It's actually very simple," he told her. "Out of all seven of you which was the only one who could hurt me?"

Everyone knew who he ment right away. They all looked over at Flora. She'd been the only one with power enough to harm him even a little bit. "Flora?" they gasped.

She stared back at the others, her eyes full of fear, at what he might be implying.

"Correct."

"What do you want with Flora?" Bloom demanded, turning back to Zackwell.

"It's more like what do I want _from _Flora," he corrected.

That answer was just as confusing. "From her?" Layla questioned. "What can Flora give to you?"

Suddenly Flora let out a frightened scream. Everyone stared back at her in horror as darkness suddenly surounded her.

"FLORA!" Musa screamed looking ready to try to break the spell.

Zackwell was laughing. "Now that I have what I want I bid you farewell for now!" then he and the captured Nature fairy vanished completely.

"FLORA!" everyone screamed staring at the spot where their friend used to be.

"Why did he take Flora?" Stella asked, looking at the others. "Why would he _want_ to take Flora?"

Nobody could answer her.

Suddenly a voice from below shouted. "Girls! Down here!"

The six fairies looked toward the ground. "Hey!" Apris exclaimed. "Isn't that the headmistress from your school?"

"Miss F.?" Tecna exclaimed. "What's she doing here?"  
"Let's go down and find out," Bloom replied.

When the girls landed they saw that not only was Miss. F. there but Mirta as well.

"Hey, Mirta," Bloom greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to help," the friendly witch replied holding up an old book. She looked around. "By the way, where is Flora?"

Apris replied. "Zackwell has captured her."

* * *

At that moment Flora was being shoved up against midnight black walls in the Darkness Palace, by the enemy of everything. Zackwell. He had taken Flora to the Realm of Darkness and was trying to get her to give up the item he thought she had. He knew he couldn't get it out of her body unless she agreed to it. But the thing was; she didn't, which made it hard.

"No!" she shouted, struggling against his grip. "I won't! I won't!"

"You have to!" he growled gripping her arms painfully. "If I am to ever rule the universe you must!"

"How would me joining you help with that?" she demanded, through clenched teeth. "You have all the Spheres, why take me too?"

"Because you're the Final Sphere!" he replied.

She stared at him, startled by that news. "What?"

"The Sphere I took from the sanctuary of Nature was a fake!" he told her. "You or within you is the Real Sphere of Nature!"

"Why would it be me or in me?" she asked, unbelieving.

"I don't know," was his answer. "But it's because you are the only one who can hurt me and the only way that can happen is if the Sphere had some sort of connection with you," he brushed her hair out of her face just then. "Now do you understand, my beauty?"

She did but she still wasn't about to change her mind. "I still won't help you!"

"Then you leave me no choice!" he raised a finger and something black formed on it. "So sad for you though. I didn't really want to use force. Now I have no other choice."

The black thing floated away from him and into Flora. The next instant her mind was filled with darkness and she screamed.

* * *

"Why would Zackwell want Flora?" Ms. Faragonda wanted to know. "What importance is she to him?"

"We don't know," Tecna replied. "But he said something about power."

"Power?" Mirta exclaimed. "There is no way _Flora_ has the power he's after! Why didn't he target you, Bloom?"

The red head shook her head. "He said once that he doesn't care a thing about the Dragonfire. In fact; I think he has no interest in it at all."

"But _Flora_?"

Bloom could only shrug. "I have no idea."

While the others tried to figure it out Layla was thinking. She puzzled over the question a moment then said. "Flora is the Sphere of Nature."

Everyone stared at her. "What!"

"It's the only thing that makes sense."

"But Zackwell _has _the Sphere of Nature," Stella reminded her. "Why- how- could Flora be the Sphere?"

"I know," a voice said suddenly.

Everyone looked toward the sky. They saw a green wyvern glide down to them. When it landed it took on the form of a woman in green. An etheral woman of Nature.

"Lady Irisa!" Apris exclaimed, recognizing the deiety. "What do you mean?"

Irisa looked at them all sadly and said. "It goes like this. When we beat Zackwell the first time I decided to hide my Sphere where no one could ever find it. After awhile I decided on a person with the same magical power. Flora's many greats grandmother. After that the Sphere has always transmigrated into the first born daughter of her family. Her family always had daughters because of that. Currenly Flora has the Sphere in her body and if she can tap into that power her magic can increase." the woman looked away, suddenly sad. "I always thought it would be safe there but I guess I was wrong..."

"So you're saying Flora's the Sphere of Nature?" Stella asked.

Irisa nodded. "In a way, yes."

Suddenly a loud clap of thunder split the sky. Startled, the eight looked upward. Zackwell had returned and this time he wasn't alone.

"Who's that?" Musa asked staring at someone beside the former lord of Darkness.

Bllo, who had the best vision out of them all, squinted to see better. She saw someone in a dark sparkling pink outfit. She also noticed the person was tanned and had brown hair with blond highlights. She gasped when she realize who it was.

"That's Flora!"

Everyone stared at her. "FLORA!"

Suddenly Zackwell raised his arms into the air and shouted. "Come to me, circles of the Elements!"

Instantly seven balls of different colors appeared around him and their friend.

"The Spheres!" Apris exclaimed.

The Spheres slowly began to revolve around the two figures. Zackwell muttered a few incantations and the Sphere's went dsark. When this happened electricity began to zap in and out of all the Sgheres.

"Look!" Musa exclaimed, pointing into the air.

The fairies looked toward the horizen. Tne sun had suddenly turned bright red and the clouds had begun to roll in as they filled with storms of evey kind.

Layla noticed something else. "The plants are dying!"

Bloom looked at the ground then back into the sky. "How are they doing that?"

Suddenly the wind picked up and dust and rocks started blowing around. The sun in the sky began to fade and the clouds grew darker.

"He's using the Spheres," Irisa said, her voice filling with horror. She looked at the girls. "You must stop him!"

"What about Flora?" Stella asked.

"Maybe you can figure out a way to bring her back," the green woman replied. "But you don't have much time! Go!"

That got the fairies going. Flapping their wings they rose into the air and flew toward the former Lord of Darkness.

_A/N_

_I had such a hard time coming up with the whole Flora's family tree and the Spheres story. I hope it made sense. _


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 21

In Flora's mind all she saw was darkness. It swirled around her as she floated through it. She tried to fight it off but nothing was happening. The darkness would only get darker and she was getting desperate.

Suddenly a voice filled her mind. "Flora..."

She recognized that voice. _Irisa?_

"Yes, child. We are here to help you."

_"We?"_

"All of us," said the voice of Shiva. "The best we can."

_How can you help me? I failed and now Zackwell has all the Spheres, including me!_

"Flora, they are all together," Miranda's voice came to her next. "Do you remember what Irisa told you at the beginning of your mission?"

_No._

"She gave you a gem," Lord Darkar's voice spoke up. "She told you to open it when they were all together."

_I remember. But what can I do?_

"They are all together," Leviathan said. "It's time to open it."

_But._

"If you don't your friends will die," Farore's voice told her.

_My friends. _

"Yes, they are fighting now," Damen's voice added. "If you don't do something eveyone will die."

_But._

"Flora," Belzack's voice said, cutting off the rest of her protests. "It's time to open the locket."

* * *

During this the evil mind controled Flora stayed hovering in the air with the Spheres revolving around her as Zackwell had it out with her friends. The problem with that was; Zackwell had an unfair advantage. Nothing could hurt him, not even Bloom's Dragon Fire.

"Let Flora go!" Layla shouted at him, throwig watery spells at the dark presnese.

Zackwell avoided them all and just grinned. "I can't do that," he told her. "I still need her."

"On no you don't!" Bloom screamed using another dragon spell. "RAGE OF THE DRAGON!"  
Zackwell raised his hand and made the spell corrupted. It went back the way it had come.

"Flora!" Musa screamed, trying to get close to her friend. "Flora, you don't want to do this!"

"Leave her alone!" the former Lord of Darkness commanded, hitting the fairy ofmusic with a spell that sent her spiraling to the ground.

"You're going to pay for that!" Stella shouted. She and Tecna surrounded him. "Fire Wall!" "Solar Flare!"

Both spells did little. Zackwell caught them both and crushed them. "Can't you do better than that?" he taunted.

"I can," Apris shouted from behind him.

Zackwell turned around just in time to see the fairy of Wind charge up her own attack and throw it at him. "Tornado!"

The attack flew at him but didn't do much. He caught it too. "Pathetic," he scoffed. He added his own magic to it and threw it back at her. "Darkness Twister!"

The spell hit Apris and sent her flying. Flora flinched.

* * *

_My friends are in trouble!  
_"Flora!" Irisa called to her. "Open the locket! You have to do it or everyone will die!"

_"Okay."_

Slowly Flora reached up and touched the locket. With hesitent fingers she opened it.

* * *

Zackwell hovered over the defeated fairies, ready to finish them off. "You're too late, _Winx Club,_" he taunted. "I have all the Spheres and Flora! Nothing will stop me from taking over the universe! Noth-"

A sudden huge spell, from behind, hit him in the back and sent him flying.

"What was that?" Musa asked staring into the sky.

"Look!" Layal exclaimed pointing. "It's Flora!"

Now everyone did look up. They saw Flora clasping a necklase in both of her hands. The locket on the chain was open and Flora was surrounded by a rainbow light.

"Flora?" Bloom said.

Zackwell flew up to the fairy of Nature. ""How did you break free from my control?" he deamnded.

"I could never stay under your control," she said and when she spoke her voice held eight others. "I am the Chosen One."

"Chosen One?" he scoffed. "Chosen One for what?"

Flora opened the locket the rest of the way and lights came out of it. "To purify the Spheres," she replied.

Eveyone watched as rainbow lights flew through the air and entered the Spheres. When this happened the Spheres returned to their normal cloros then burst. Their powers flew around, entangled, and then went into Flora.

Immediately her eyes closed and the locket fell off her neck and entangeled around her hand. Flora's hair turned white and her costume changed to rainbow colors. The necklase changed as well and became a bright sword. A tiara of elemental jewels appeared on her head and as she opened her eyes they swirled with the same colors.

She faced Zackwell. "Zackwell!" she screamed. "This ends here!"

"We'll see about that, my dear!" he challenged. Darkness surrounded his right hand and became a sword of evil and corruption. "'Let's see who wins shall we? Me or you!"

"HAAAAAAAA!" Flora shouted, coming at him.

Sparks flew as the swords clashed.

* * *

Everyone watched the two fight from the ground. "Do you think she'll be able to beat him?" Musa asked out loud.

"Not on her own," Irisa replied.

"What do you mean?" Bloom asked staring at the Lady of Nature.

Mirta opened the book she had with her and explained. "Even if she has the other Aeons in her body she still has to summon them to create the Final Aeon," she replied. "If she doesn't do that..."

"She'll probably lose," Irisa finished for her.

"Let's hope she's able to do it," Layla said.

"Go Flora!" Stella cheered throwing her fist into the air. "You can do it!"

* * *

Flora and Zackwell clashed again and again. It seemed, even though Flora had opened the locket and freed the Spheres, she still wasn't strong enough and she knew why. She had to summon the Final Aeon.

_I have to do this, _she thought as she fought. _I have to do this for the universe... the Guardians... my friends... Helia..._

"What's wrong, Flora?" Zackwell asked as they locked swords again. "Losing power?"

"No," she said flying backwards. "I'm just getting warmed up."

She lifted her sword and shouted. "Powers of the Spheres, Ultimate power and pure hearts, Come together and summon the final parts!"

Suddenly the sword was surrounded by a rainbow that thickened then shot out in different directions.

Whne the lights vanished other figures appeared. An icy woman dressed in lase instead of clothes, a demon with black and red wings with a dragonic face, an angel with white hair and a sword of judgement, a green dragon, a Siren, a woman with wings for ears and hlding a gold harp, a blue sea dragon, a fiery demon and a earthan dragon covered in the sands of time.

Flora shouted again. "Nayru of Ice, Diablos of Darkness, Micheal of Light, Ifirit of Fire, Sea Dragon of Water, Fayerbrand of Nature, Nozdormu of Earth, Siren of Wind, lend me your power!"

Instantly the Aeons shot their ultimate powers at her.

"Diamond Dust!" "Dark Messanger!" "Holy Judgement!" "Flower Storm!" "East Wind!" "Tsaunami!" "Hell fire!" "Sandstorm!"

When the attacks hit her they surrounded her with light.

"Why did they did that to her?" Stella gasped in shock.

Irisa stared at the sky. "They..." she began.

"They _killed _Flora!" Tecna exclaimed.

"No!" Mirta told them, going back to her book. "The books says they only do that when they are summoning the Final Aeon."

"Final Aeon?"

Just then the light faded and all they saw was Flora.

"It didn't work!" Bloom exclaimed.

"It did work!" Irisa insisted as she stared at the fairy of Nature. "I think... I think _Flora _is the Final Aeon!"

Eveyone stared at the Lady of Natue in shock. "Flora is the Final Aeon!"

_A/N_

_I think of Final Fantasy too much... _


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 22

Zackwell sneered at Flora. "Even the Aeon's power won't help you, girl," he scoffed. "Why don't you just give up now?"

"I won't give up," she told him, smiling herself. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"When the Aeon's give all their power they are summoning the Final Aeon," she replied.

"I see no Aeon."

"That's because," she said charging up the final attack. "_I'm _the Final Aeon!"

Zackwell stared at her in disbelieve. "_You're_ the Final Aeon?" he exclaimed.

"Yes," she said, getting ready to end this once and for all. "And this is your end! ULTIMA!"

Before the Dark Lord could do anything he was comsumed by the Final Aeon's power. As his body vanished forever he screamed loudly and shrilly. 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" then he was gone.

As the light faded everyone looked into the sky. Flora was slowly floating to the ground. As she descended she held the sword out infront of her anf kept her eyes closed. The sword slowly disintrigrated as well as the Aeons. The Sphere's shone brightly and floated around her except the Sphere of Nature which was still in her body.

When her feet finally touched the ground the sword vanished and her arms dropped to her sides. _It's over... _and relief spread over her entire body.

"Flora!" a voice shouted.

_Hmmm? _That voice didn't belong to any of her girl friends. _But I thought..._

"Flora!"

The fairy opened her eyes. She saw someone with long blue hair running toward her. "H...Helia?" she said then ran at him as her fairy costume faded and she was once again in her flowered shirt and jeans. "Helia!"

They met each other halfway and embrased. Flora was so relieved it was over and happy to see he was still alive that she kissed him.

* * *

"So, Lord Darkar," Shiva said as her Sphere floated into her hands. "Now since this is over are you going to give up trying to get the Ultimate Power?"

"Are you kidding?" he asked as he sent his Sphere back to Mount Ifirit. "I'm not done yet."

She smiled. "I figured that," she said leaning toward him. "Well then consider this a farewell gift." then she kissed him on the cheek. (Yes, Shiva likes Darkar).

Miranda came back into the Room of Insights. "Darcy's better," she told the Lord of Fire. "Her and her sisters have returned to your realm."

"Then I'll be going," he said then melted into the floor as he parted.

"I'd better be going to," Belzack said.

"I agree," Farore nodded.

The two vanished and Damen also took his leave.

"Hey, Miranda," Leviathan said.

"Yes?"

"Do you think Zackwell is gone this time?"

"No doubt," she replied, looking over at him and smiling. "But there's nothing wrong with being on guard... just in case..."

* * *

Flora and Helia parted just as the clouds broke up and the sun came out bringing with it a new day.

"I'm glad this is over, Flora," he said as he held her hand. "And I kept my promise. I didn't die."

"No," she said smiling at him. "you didn't."

"Flora!" another voice shouted.

The two looked toward the school. They saw the Winx Club and Mirta running toward them.

_I'm glad I was able to save my friends, _she thought smiling. She tugged on Helia's hand. "Let's greet them."

"Yes," he said smiling at her. "Lets."

* * *

Irisa watched Flora and Helia run toward their friends. She smiled as the wind blew her green hair. _I'm glad... _she thought. _Flora. Good Job. You were the only one and you didn't hesitate._

The Lady of Nature laid her hands over her heart. "We chose well, Master," she whispered. "it's all over now."

Then she faded back into her element as Flora was covered in hugs by her friends.

THE END

_A/N_

_Well that's it. I hope you all liked it. _


End file.
